Unknown Empire
by Sugarrush71
Summary: A new story in the "Seven Pointed Star" universe. A number of murders in Atlantic City and New York challenges Auxiliary Detective Castle, Captain Beckett-Castle and the Special Investigations Taskforce while at the same time some of our characters face other challenges in their lives.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: As the summary states this is a continuation of the universe created in my previous story "The Seven Pointed Star". If you haven't read it yet you might find it useful if you do so that you can make sense of the new characters and the new situation with Castle and Beckett which is just a bit different from where this departed from canon during the end of season seven._

 _Disclaimer: In no way do I own Castle. Only ABC and the writers do._

* * *

 _Late Evening, Atlantic City, New Jersey_

Jessie carefully picks his way amongst the rocks, seaweed and trash that is beneath the iconic Atlantic City boardwalk. With the trash, whether it be what the ocean has carried there or what some careless tourist had let slip through the cracks in the boards above him, he always pauses to look through to see what hidden treasures can be found.

Fifty-eight year old Jessie has been living on the streets of AC for over ten years now and looking for lost treasures beneath the boardwalk is one of his favourite ways of scratching together some cash for food or booze. Mostly for booze.

In days past he and a few others would even sleep down here but the tides have been getting higher and there are fewer permanent dry spots under the boardwalk now. That and since nine eleven the cops patrol under here a lot more often to make sure no suspicious packages are left under the tourist attraction that is the boardwalk.

But Jessie knows the patrol schedule of the cops so he only comes down here for one of his scavenger hunts when he is sure the cops won't be here. He's still caught from time to time when the cops change their schedule but all they do is put him in the drunk tank for the night which is fine by him as it gives him a dry, warm place to sleep for that night.

He stands back up after poking through a plastic bag of garbage that the Atlantic obviously left there and looks around. He stops still as, through the darkness, he barely makes out something strange a few paces in front of him. He can just make out a shape next to one of the concrete support pillars that hold up the boardwalk. Jessie takes a tentative step forward and the shape becomes recognisable as a man leaning up against the pillar.

"H..ey…hey there pal," stammers a nervous Jessie. "Watchya doin' down here?"

There is no response from the man and Jessie takes another step forward but is ready to bolt if the guy turns out to be a threat or some druggie down here for their fix. However Jessie isn't going to miss an opportunity to bum some cash or a smoke off the guy if he can. He gets turned down most of the time when he asks those rich tourists for some change but if doesn't ask he'll miss those times when someone does reach into their pockets.

The guy still doesn't say a word or even move so Jessie takes another step forward and in doing that his angle changes and he sees the man more clearly as a single shaft of light from a street lamp above, through a crack in the floorboards of the boardwalk, illuminates the man's face.

One look at the bloody mess that was the man's face and the dead eyes fixed at a point that they can no longer see has Jessie scrambling back frantically. He trips on some rocks and falls flat on his back but his eyes stay fixed on the horror of what was a man in front that he can now see is bound to the support pillar. He stays frozen there for almost five minutes as he stares at the body before he hurriedly picks himself up and scurries away as fast as his tired legs and the uneven ground will allow.

It is in this frightened and frantic state that he runs straight into the two uniformed officers of the Atlantic City Police that are just starting their check beneath the boardwalk.

* * *

 _The next day, late afternoon, Offices of the Special Investigations Taskforce – The 12_ _th_ _Precinct, New York, New York_

Richard Castle glances up from the game of Star Wars Angry Birds that he is playing on his phone to look first towards Kate's office and then the other occupants of the bullpen. Everyone else, like him, is waiting. Esposito, Ryan and Detective Kaminski of the Connecticut State Police are playing catch from their desks with a half sized football. Detective Sergeant Kent of the New Jersey State Police is at his desk talking on his phone. Special Agent Douglas of the FBI is likewise at her desk looking with concentration at something on the computer screen in front of her. While at the desk across from her he can just make out Investigator Gibson from the New York State Police from behind the stack of file folders on her desk in front of her. She is sorting through some case files that he has a sneaking suspicion are some of his and Kate's old cases.

They were just about to start one of their regular update briefings when Kate had been called away to her office by a phone call. As a result everyone else on the team, like him, are filling their time while they wait for her to return. Otherwise he wouldn't dare be playing his game while he is at work. He's sure he can still feel the sharp tug on his earlobe from a couple of weeks ago when Kate had caught him playing this very same game at his desk.

At the time he'd been waiting for a file of traffic cam footage to download to his terminal so he hadn't seen the harm in trying, again, to beat the level that had him stymied while he waited. She hadn't seen it that way, of course. After she released his ear she'd shut down any explanation he'd had and suggested he either find something case related to do or get some writing done.

He winces at that reminder. He'd been so sure that taking on is duties as an NYPD Auxiliary Detective and a member of Kate's taskforce would not affect his writing output, but it has. He has the harassing emails and phone calls from Gina to prove it.

Sure being a member of the taskforce has given him some great ideas for both Nikki and Derrek but he just doesn't have the time to turn the ideas into fully fleshed out stories. A lot of the time when he writes he likes to totally immerse himself in the world and characters he is writing and that is not something that can be done in short bursts. No, usually he'll spend hours, often at night, in front of his laptop feverishly tapping away with the result that he isn't at his best for work as an NYPDA Detective the next day.

Kate and the department have been understanding and he isn't on shift all the time to allow him to concentrate on his writing. However, whenever he isn't on duty he feels like he's missing out. That some intriguing and challenging case will come in while he's not there. It also means he's not a Kate's side and given the dangerous cases the taskforce gets sometimes him not being here, at her side, goes against one of the main reasons he became an Auxiliary Detective in the first place.

His wife isn't helping either because she has taken a very principled stand as regards not contacting him when he is off duty. He knows she is doing it both as his responsible Captain, ensuring he has the proper down time, and as his loving wife, ensuing that he fulfils his responsibilities to Black Pawn and his fans. That she is one of those fans eagerly awaiting his next book doesn't influence her one bit. Yeah, right!

A prime example was about a month ago when he'd been off duty for a week, back at the loft, struggling with untangling an outline for his next book when the taskforce had gotten such a case. A crew of thieves were ram raiding their way through businesses in Queens, Brooklyn and across in New Jersey. The taskforce had been called in because of the spread of the crimes both within New York and New Jersey and the fact that this crew was obviously unconcerned if anyone was hurt during their raids. During the last two raids a security guard at one business and a passing civilian who stopped to look at another were both beaten up badly and put in hospital by the criminals.

Kate had told him about the case at the end of the first day it came to the taskforce but, when he'd expressed his desire to come in and help, she'd shut him down. She'd reiterated that he wasn't on duty and he had other obligations besides being an NYPDA Detective. He'd known she was right but it didn't mean he had to like it. He just didn't like the idea of Kate going after such dangerous criminals without him at her side. Sure, all the other members of the team have her back but he feels it's his responsibility as her partner in crime and life to be there to look out for her just like she does for him.

It turned out his concerns had been well founded because a couple of nights later, while staking out a business they'd determined through Gibson discovering a pattern in their raids would be the criminals next target, they had indeed encountered the gang. He well remembers how his heart dropped into his gut when Ryan called him to tell him that Kate had been taken to hospital because she'd been hurt when they took down the gang. His friend had assured him that she was fine and it was just a precaution but that hadn't stopped him from tearing out of the loft a fast as he could to get to her.

After speeding through the night-time traffic he'd reached the hospital in Queens where Ryan had told him she'd been taken only to arrive just as Kate was leaving. A little bruised and sore but with no permanent injuries thank goodness. He'd thanked Espo, who had accompanied her to the ER, gathered her into his arms and led her to his car. As he's driven her home, reluctantly on her part because she wanted to go to the precinct to oversee the wrap-up of the case, he'd gradually coaxed the story out of her.

Obviously Gibson had been proven right and the electronics store they were staking out in Queens turned out to be the next target of the crew they were chasing. She had been outside, in her car with Kaminski and Douglas when the stolen SUV the crew was using crashed through the security grills at the front of the store while another stolen van, to carry away their booty, pulled up behind it.

Kate had immediately moved her car to block the van from escaping one way while Ryan and Gibson did the same from the other direction in Ryan's car. Then they had all leaped out to apprehend the criminals. Ryan and Gibson caught the driver of the van as he tried to run and Kaminski and Douglas had likewise caught his passenger. Then a big guy had burst from the wreaked front of the store obviously trying to evade Kent and Esposito who had been waiting inside the store for them. The guy had, at least, three inches and sixty pounds on her and he'd coming running right at her. She hadn't flinched and met him head on.

She'd try to down play it, even trying to hedge on the size of the guy but he knows her tells, called her on it and so she admitted how big the guy was. Again she tried to pass off what happened as a simple take down but he countered that she wouldn't have been sent to hospital if it was just a simple takedown. She then revealed that the guy had gotten quite a few hits on her before she'd been able to subdue him and when Espo had seen her hobbling away and holding her side afterwards he'd insisted on taking her to the nearest hospital to get checked out. It was then that Castle had made a metal note to get Espo some floor seats for the Knicks as a thank you for looking out for Kate for him.

An incident like that does nothing to quiet the concern he has when he's not with Kate and the taskforce. He has gotten her to promise to keep him informed if she is going into the field, where there is the possibility for danger, without him. While she's reluctantly agreed she's countered with the proviso that he is not to turn up anywhere unless he is on duty or had been requested by her. Like her he'd agreed, just as reluctantly. However he's made sure to sit down with both Esposito and Ryan and make it clear to them that they are to tell him if it looks like Kate is heading into a particularly dangerous situation and to reinforce their commitment to look out for her when he is not around. Both men had assured him they would and hadn't asked for anything in return even though Castle had been prepared to each lend them his Ferrari for a few weekends as compensation.

He stops his musing and pockets his phone as he sees Kate striding from her office towards him. She gives him a slight shake of the head at his inquiring look and she then perches herself on a corner of his desk as she addresses the rest of the team in the bullpen, "Ok, people, where were we?"

Esposito, Ryan and Kaminski stop their little game of catch as Ryan speaks up, "Uh, we were talking about the end of the Belgardt murder case, Captain."

"Oh, yes….Kaminski, Douglas, have you got your paperwork ready to send to the Bridgeport DA?" Kate asks of the pair.

Kaminski puts down the football he is holding, glances at Douglas seated at her desk nearby and after the nod from the FBI agent responds confidently, "Yes, Skipper. All done and nicely tied up. No way the suspect is wriggling out of it."

"Good," Kate nods appreciatively. "Well, with that and the court prep done for the Coleman case we have a clear board at the moment so let's call it a day. But before you all go I just took a call from the Mayor of Atlantic City and there might be a case for us there. There have been two murders in as many weeks with the same MO and the Mayor is keen for us to go down and take a look but the ACPD doesn't want to give up the case just yet. I can't say I blame them but, Kent, I'll give you the details of the murder. Put them out in the tristate update so if there is another murder using the same MO we and the ACPD will be notified. If they get a third one, especially outside of Atlantic City, they may just have to call us in."

Kent nods in assent at Kate's order and she continues, "If we don't catch a case tomorrow I'll get you all to go through the updates from various departments to see if there are any other cases that might come under our purview that haven't been sent to us yet. Otherwise, have a good night everyone."

There are calls of, "Thanks, Skip", "Nite, Beckett" and "Goodnight, Ma'am" from the members of the team as they gather together their belongings in preparation of heading to their various homes.

Castle looks up at Kate still perched on his desk and asks, "So the ACPD don't want to let it go?"

Kate runs her fingers through her long brown hair as she shakes her head, "No, the detectives on the case think they are close to identifying a suspect but the Mayor, a buddy of Bob Weldon's, has heard of the work we've been doing and thinks it's something for us. He's giving his people one more chance but was calling me to give us a heads up in case he decides to formally ask 1PP and the NJSP for our assistance."

At that Castle stands, takes a quick look around the bullpen to see if the members of the team that haven't left yet are watching and then places his hands on Kate's shoulders comfortingly, "Well, in the meantime why don't we go home, order some Golden Palace and relax in front of some Netflix. It feels like we haven't had a quiet night for ages."

Kate is now looking up at him and she initially smiles at his suggestion before she gives him a pointed look and says, "Aren't you still two chapters behind in what you owe Gina? As much as spending the night on the couch with you catching a movie appeals shouldn't you take the opportunity to get some writing done?"

Castle again winces at the mention of how behind he is in his writing but he shrugs his shoulders and says to Kate sincerely, "Honestly, I'm not in the mood to write tonight and I've learnt never to force it unless it is absolutely necessary. I am at least three irate calls and as many flaming emails shy from Gina before they are that necessary. I just want to spend a relaxing night with my wife. If anything is sure to inspire and motivate me for when I am ready to write that is."

Kate cocks a sceptical eyebrow at him for a moment before her shoulders also shrug under his hands in acceptance and agreement, "Yeah, I must admit I am in the mood to just spend the night relaxing with my husband rather than spending it doing something else while you work in your study. Just let me give the details of the AC murders to Kent and then we can get going, K?"

"No problem. I'm not going anywhere without you," Castle promises her casually.

Kate smiles back at him in response, reaches up to give one of his hands a quick squeeze as she slips her shoulders from under them, turns and makes her way over to where Kent is at his desk. Castle watches her go and thinks that a night doing nothing with Kate is exactly what they both need.

* * *

 _A/N: And away we go on another ride in this universe. Updates will mostly be once a week, work, life and other distractions allowing. Also, at the same time I have another very AU sci-fi story with the Castle characters that I am also publishing soon but as I've already written chapters for both that shouldn't cause a delay in getting chapters out for this story._

 _I hope you all had a good holiday season and are making it through this now extended winter hiatus for Castle. Hopefully this and the other excellent fics on this site are helping you get through it. Enjoy!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I in no way own Castle._

* * *

 _Central Park, New York – Morning_

Officer Fran Carlotti of the NYPD Auxiliary stifles a yawn and keeps in step beside Officer David Maxwell of the NYPD as they share the morning foot patrol in this slightly wooded section of the park. It has been six months since she received her star as an NYPD Auxiliary Officer and she's been assigned to the Central Park Precinct on 86th Street and Transverse Road since then.

She hopes to be transferred to a precinct in Brooklyn soon so that she can be near her home and her work at the high school. The Lieutenant at Central Park assures her that will happen eventually. It's just that Central Park has had a few people move on recently from transfers, promotions and retirements and has needed additional resources to fill the gaps until the positions could be permanently filled.

Things seemed to have settled down at the precinct now so she should be getting transferred to Brooklyn shortly. Though she may have to wait until she finishes her probationary period. Either way making the commute to Manhattan and Central Park on the days when she's on duty can be a pain sometimes. Like this morning even thought it was her own fault. She was up all night grading papers from her other job as a teacher knowing full well she had to be across the bridge early today to start the morning shift. If she didn't know any better she'd think she never left the Army what with all the work she's doing and the busy schedule she has.

Then there is the idea she's had of applying for the next intake of NYPDA Detectives. It would mean more training and then again there would be no guarantee that she would be assigned to a Brooklyn precinct in the end. More work and more demands on her time. However ever since meeting Richard Castle during her NYPDA training and seeing him qualify to be the first Auxiliary Detective she's had the idea in her head to do the same. The interesting cases she's heard he's been involved with since qualifying and being part of the tristate Special Investigations Taskforce have only served to solidify that idea. She just needs to complete her probationary period as an Officer first.

Carlotti stifles another yawn and she and Maxwell turn down a more secluded part of the path.

"Sorry to keep you awake there, Carlotti," comes the sarcastic comment from Maxwell next to her.

Maxwell is a late twenties white guy with short black hair of average height with six years on the job and has been her training officer since she's been at Central Park. He's not a bad guy and she knows he's just teasing but she's tired and not in the mood.

"Shut up, Maxwell. You try holding down a full time job, be responsible for looking after a husband and growing son and do this job without yawning from time to time," she grumbles back at him.

"Whoa, look who got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning," Maxwell counters playfully.

Carlotti just rolls her eyes but before she can respond further two young people, a boy and a girl both about eighteen, burst out from behind a nearby bush. At the sight of the two uniformed officers the young lovers, because that's the more savoury reason to Carlotti's mind why two young people might be in the bushes together, hurry towards them.

"Officers!" exclaims the young white man holding the hand of the young Asian girl as they approach.

"Can we help you, sir?" asks Maxwell formally as the couple stop in front of them, both breathing heavily and looking at them with wide, frightened eyes.

"Thank God! We….we found her. Back there," the boy gets out pointing behind him from where the pair of them just came.

"Found who?" asks Carlotti quickly.

"A woman. She's tied to a tree," says the girl and she closes her eyes briefly obviously reliving the horror of what she's seen. "I…I…I think she's dead."

"Show us," instructs Maxwell.

With obvious reluctance the couple turn and walk back into the surrounding brush with Carlotti and Maxwell on their heels. A few minutes later they are all stopped looking at the sight that had the teenagers running from their intended make-out spot.

A white woman in her forties, with long blond hair, is bound to a tree by what looks to be wire. That she is dead seems to be the obvious assumption from the blood saturating her clothes, the wounds on her face and her blank staring eyes.

Maxwell still pulls a pair of latex gloves from a pouch on his belt, carefully picks his way forward so not to disturb any footprints or other evidence and checks the body for a pulse. He looks at Carlotti gravely and shakes his head negatively.

* * *

Castle shuffles from his study into the living room of the loft, dressed in his sleep clothes of a grey t-shirt and black boxers, heading for the kitchen with his dishevelled hair and squinting eyes. There is at least ten percent of him that is still asleep but the first cup of morning coffee should fix that.

As he approaches the kitchen he is greeted with the sight of his daughter, Alexis, dressed for the day in blue jeans and a cream blouse, perched on one of the stools around the kitchen island. She is slowly spooning muesli into her mouth while her concentration seems to be focused on the book that is open on the counter in front of her.

"Good morning, daughter," he calls to her as he is halfway across the living room.

Even with ten percent of himself still asleep he still takes note of the surprised start Alexis gives as she looks up at him. She gives him a smile that could be said to be slightly nervous as she answers, "Oh, morning, Dad!"

As he gets closer he cranes his neck towards the book on the counter and asks, "Watchya reading?"

His curiosity increases as Alexis quickly closes the book with the front cover facing down so he can't see that title and then for good measure she places a nearby ring binder on top of it. Oh, no not suspicious at all.

She tries to sound casual but fails miserable in his eyes as she responds with, "Oh, nothing. Just some study for a class I've got."

"Hmm, study for a class, hey? Does this mean you've finally decided on a major?" he asks half playfully and half out of concern.

He knows that Alexis, ever since that talk they had just before he got the Poe's Pen Award, has been struggling to find her focus, her passion and therefore what to major in for the remainder of her time at college. For once his daughter's ability to be good at most things is working against her as she hasn't been able to lock down that thing she wants to devote her life to. Castle knows that this lack of firm direction has been stressing out his normally highly focused daughter. Perhaps that's what is behind her curious behaviour?

"No, Dad. What about you? Have you finished those chapters for Gina yet?" she shoots back at him. An obvious ploy to distract him from what she's reading. Regardless he still feels a twinge of guilt at the reminder of how behind he is with his work.

He makes his way over to the coffee machine and starts preparing it for himself and Kate's coffees and he answers over his shoulder as he does so, "My writing is well in hand, young lady. After all these years I think Gina should know that you can't rush talent."

"Ha! And you've been saying that for years, Dad. We both know what Gina expects is for you to meet your deadlines on time," Alexis argues back.

Coffee machine loaded and working away to supply two cups of its best he turns back to where Alexis is sitting. As he steps towards the island he spots Kate emerging from his study, likewise dressed in her sleep clothes of a cream coloured silk robe over an off white tank top and purple and white patterned pyjama pants.

"Why don't you tell me what that book is that has you so interested?" he challenges directly but still playfully. He's curious but her refusal seems to him just to be the usual happy banter they have.

He is further surprised when she quickly picks up her cell phone from the counter, looks at the screen and exclaims rather unconvincingly, "Oh, is that the time? I'm going to be late."

Before Castle can say a word edge ways she quickly gathers up her belongings from the counter and is leaping from her stool. With breathless, "Bye, Dad!" she spins around to leave and upon seeing Kate approaching she gives a hurried, "Bye, Kate!" before hustling for the front door.

Castle and Kate both have just managed to get out, "Bye, pumpkin!" and "Bye, Lex!" respectively before she is out the front door and it is closed behind her.

Castle is still staring at the closed front door that his daughter just disappeared behind as Kate joins him in the kitchen. As she makes her way over to the coffee machine to see how far away her first caffeine hit of the day is, Castle says, "Well that was odd."

"What's odd, babe?" Kate responds turning towards him cradling both of their now ready cups of coffee that she just added the finishing touches to.

As she places his in front of him he answers, his eyes still fixed at where he last saw Alexis disappear, "Alexis wouldn't tell me what she was reading. Did you notice how quickly she scrambled out of here? And what about coming up with a better excuse than 'Oh, gee, is that the time'. I thought I taught her better than that?"

As Kate rests her hip on the counter next to him she takes an appreciative sip from her mug before challenging him, "So let me get this straight. On one hand your upset because she won't tell you what boring text book she'd reading while on the other hand you dislike the fact that she can't lie better about avoiding to talk to you about it. Bit of a contradiction there, Castle."

Castle huffs in mild frustration at his wife doing her wifey duty of challenging him when he is being so contrary.

"Yes," he pouts back at her. "It's a father's prerogative to be concerned about all aspect of his daughter's life from what she's doing at school to how good of a poker face she's got. I'm sorry to say that Alexis still hasn't developed a good one so I can tell when she's trying to hide something from me. For some reason she feels she has to hide what she's currently doing from me."

Kate's cell phone then rings from the pocket of her robe and as she digs it out to answer it she says, "Castle, Alexis is a grown woman. She's entitled to her secrets. You know her. I'm sure whatever it is it's harmless." She then presses the green accept call icon on the phone's screen and puts to her ear saying, "Captain Beckett-Castle!"

There is a pause as Kate listens to what is being said and Castle takes an opportunity to take a sip of his own coffee.

"Uh-huh….Ok….Alright, where exactly?...Right, I know where. Thanks, Kent. Call the rest of the team and Castle and I will meet you all there," and with that she ends the call and re-pockets the phone.

His curiosity over Alexis temporarily forgotten Castle asks, "Did we catch a case?"

Kate nods as she lifts her coffee mug to down the remainder in several large gulps. Castle marvels, not for the first time, that she doesn't burn her mouth or throat doing that but he's long since learned that years of quickly downing cups of steaming hot coffee on the way to crime scenes has made his wife virtually immune to the scalding temperature of coffee when drinking it.

Her mug empty she places it on the counter and tells him, "We got a hit on the MO of those murders from Atlantic City that Kent put out in the bulletin last night. There's been a murder this morning matching the same description here in the city, in Central Park."

Castle attempts to take his own large gulp of his coffee but it isn't cool enough for him to do that yet and he releases most of it from his mouth back into his mug before he lowers it again. Trying to maintain his dignity while also looking like he is unaffected by the burning sensation in his mouth he says, "Well, we better get ready then."

The slight twinkle in Kate's eye tells him that, like he can with Alexis, she can tell he's trying to pretend he's not currently regretting trying to copy his wife by chugging down his hot coffee. She reaches over to pat his hand as she says, "I'll quickly jump in the shower. How about you fix us some breakfast that we can have to go?"

He smiles and nods in acceptance. She smiles back, whips around, the tail of her robe flying and she strides from the kitchen towards his study and their bedroom and bathroom beyond.

Over her shoulder, just as she is about to disappear into the study, she says cheekily, "Oh, and maybe make yourself an _iced_ coffee this time, Castle."

Grumbling mostly to himself he answers, "Yes, dear."

* * *

 _Central Park – thirty minutes later_

Kate smiles in thanks as Castle holds up the crime scene tape for her as she ducks under it. Standing back up she strides forward, past the uniform standing post, towards the flashes of camera strobes that tell her of the location of their latest scene.

She hears the heavy tread in the dead leaves and twigs of her husband just a pace behind her as she rounds a bush to finally bring their victim into full view. Surrounded by a crowd of CSU techs, uniforms and some detectives, including Kent and Gibson of her own team, a woman's body, dressed in a yellow sun dress is tied to a tree where Laine is currently leaning in for a closer examination of the victim's throat.

As she pauses to fully take in the scene she hears Castle mutter next to her, "Not the most pleasant sight to see during a morning stroll in the park."

Kate gives him a small huff in agreement and before she can comment further they are joined by Kent, Gibson and a middle-aged and brown haired male detective in a grey suit.

Turning from the scene towards the group she asks her second in command, "Hey, Kent. What have we got?"

"Hey, Captain. Looks to be the same MO as those murders in Atlantic City. I was just explaining about the case to Detective Saunders from Central Park here and that we'd be looking to take it off his hands," explains Kent indicating to the detective standing next to him.

The man in question shrugs his shoulders at that, "I thought you might when I matched this with that report I saw in the precinct bulletin this morning. If you guys want to take it feel free. I've already got a stabbing and three violent muggings in other areas of the park on my plate. Your taskforce taking this over will please my Captain as it'll take it off our books."

Kate gives the man an understanding nod, "Thanks, Detective, we'll do just that. I'll have the formal request for jurisdiction on your Captain's desk by lunch. In the meantime what can you tell me?"

"The body was found by a couple of teenagers looking for some private time at about 7:20 this morning. They reported it to a pair of uniforms on foot patrol," he tells her indicating with his arm towards a young couple flanked by a pair of uniforms standing a few feet away and to one side of the crime scene.

She looks over at the group and at the same time as she recognises one of the uniforms she hears the pleased exclamation from Castle next to her, "Carlotti!"

At that Castle breaks from her side and starts going over to the woman who has heard his exclamation and is smiling at him as he approaches. Kate turns to a slightly confused Saunders and explains, "My husband did his NYPDA training with Officer Carlotti."

She then turns to Kent and Gibson and says, "Castle will obviously take care of talking to the uniforms and the kids that found the body. Gibson, you go give him a hand. Kent, co-ordinate with Saunders about a canvas of the surrounding area and when the rest of the team gets here get them to help. I'll see what Laine has found."

With nods of ascent they all head off to do as she bids as she walks over to the body and where her friend is doing her work.

"What've you got so far, Lane?" she asks as she stops a few paces from the tree where the body is bound.

The dark eyes of Lanie rise from their close inspection of the dead woman's face to meet Kate's as she replies with her with slightly feigned sarcasm, "Well, good morning to you too, Captain."

Kate rolls her eyes at her friend taking issue with not receiving a proper greeting but relents as she starts again with just a hint of her own sarcasm, "Good morning, Dr Parish. Now that the pleasantries are out of the way will you tell me what you've found?"

Lanie gives her an impish grin before responding in her more usual, business like tone, "Caucasian female, approximately forty years of age. Preliminary time of death is between midnight and three AM this morning. Cause of death looks to be exsanguination from a long diagonal cut along her throat but I'll confirm that when I get her back at to the morgue."

Kate takes a careful step closer to the body to see the wound the ME is referring to as she says, "Her throat was cut."

"Mmm hmm, seems so," agrees Lanie. "But not before she took one hell of a beating. I'll be able to tell you more once I've got her on my table but just from what I can see here I'd say that someone wanted to cause this woman a lot of pain before they killed her."

"Any ID on the body?" Kate asks.

"No ID but I did find a key card for a hotel in a pocket of her dress," Lanie tells her holding up a clear, plastic evidence bag in her blue gloved hands.

Kate takes the bag and inspects the card inside, "This looks to be from the Rockport Hotel. That's a just a couple of blocks from this side of the park."

It is then that they are joined by Castle and Officer Carlotti. As Castle takes is customary place at Kate's side he greets the ME, "Good morning, Lanie."

Giving Kate a pointed look Lanie responds, her voice dripping with irony, "And good morning to you, Castle. At least one of you knows their proper manners."

Looking a little confused at both Lanie's comment and the eye roll that Kate gives at it, Castle indicates towards the NYPDA uniform next to him, "Uh…OK…Well anyway, let me introduce you to Officer Fran Carlotti of the NYPDA. She and I were classmates at the Academy. Carlotti this is Dr Laine Parish our ME and resident expert on all things deceased."

As Carlotti nods in greeting Lanie waves a latex covered hand towards the woman and says cheekily, "So you had to put up with this big lug during training, I sympathise."

Giving a quick, sidelong glance to Castle next to her, Carlotti replies with matching cheekiness, "Oh, it wasn't all bad. Once you got past his puppy like enthusiasm he turned out not to be too disruptive."

Now it is Castle's turn to give an eye roll at the teasing from Lanie and Carlotti.

Kate steps in at this point as she extends her own greeting to the NYPDA uniform, "Good to see you again, Carlotti."

"You too, Captain," responds Carlotti pleasantly.

"Carlotti was telling me that she and her partner saw nothing or no one suspicious before those kids led them to the body," Castle tells Kate.

Carlotti nods her head in agreement, "Yep, that's right. It was just another normal foot patrol before those two found us."

"What about the couple? Could they be involved?" Kate asks.

Both Castle and Carlotti shrug their shoulders but it is Castle that answers negatively, "I don't think so, Kate. They seem too scared to me. Gibson is still getting their statement but from what I can tell I can't see them doing this." He then indicates with a sweep of his hand at the state of the body tied to the tree in front of them.

"He's right, Captain," adds Carlotti. "They were both scared as hell when we found them. Plus with a murder like this the killer would be covered in blood and I couldn't see any trace on either of them."

Kate's eyebrows raise a little at the astute observation from the uniform. She remembers Castle telling her that the woman had been an MP in the Army and was considering becoming an Auxiliary Detective. Looks like she'll make a good one if she does.

Beyond their group Kate sees, Esposito, Ryan, Douglas and Kaminski arrive at the scene to be met by Kent. Before Kent can send them off on their canvas she calls out, "Espo, Ryan!" She waves her arm, beckoning them to join her.

The two partners break off from their group and joins the one near the body. As they arrive she hears a muttered, "Jezze!" from Ryan as he gets a good look at the state of the victim.

She passes the evidence bag to Esposito as she orders, "You two take a photo of the vic's face and then take this to the Rockport Hotel two blocks over. Looks like she may have been staying there. Find out which room she was in and call in CSU to check it out. Also find out if anyone there can ID her and if they saw her leave the hotel before midnight last night."

Taking the bag Esposito nods seriously, "As you wish, Captain."

As their friends leave them Castle wonders aloud to her, "Perhaps when we know who she is then we can find out why the same murder has happened here as has happened in Atlantic City."

* * *

 _A/N: Here you go. Another chapter to tide you all over on another Castle-less Monday in the US. For all my fellow Aussies out there, Happy Australia Day!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Castle is the property of ABC and not me._

* * *

 _Special Investigations Taskforce Offices– the 12_ _th_ _Precinct_

"Our victim's name is Natalie Collins aged forty-two," announces Esposito to the bullpen as he slaps the DMV mug shot of a blond haired woman in her forties up on the murder board.

As he turns back to the rest of the team assembled around the board, Ryan pipes up from where he is standing next to the board, "She'd checked into the Rockport Hotel yesterday afternoon using a fake New Jersey driver's license under the name Natalie Ricardo and the clerk at the front desk confirmed it was her. However when we checked with the New Jersey DMV there is no Natalie Ricardo in their system matching our victim's details."

Esposito takes over from his partner at this point, "When CSU searched her room they found her real driver's licence in her luggage. We confirmed this one with the New Jersey DMV as well and it came up as a match for our victim. Given the similarities to the murders in Atlantic City, the beating, the cut throat and being tied to a tree after death it will come as no surprise that our victim lives and works in Atlantic City."

"She lived in the Westside district of Atlantic City and worked at a souvenir shop on the boardwalk to be precise," adds Ryan and Esposito starts writing the information down on the white board under the photo using a black marker.

At this point Beckett takes a step forward to study the photo of Natalie Collins over Esposito's shoulder and asks, "So what was she doing here in New York under a fake name? Is there any connection between her and the other victims in Atlantic City?"

Kent answers her from where he is standing amongst the rest of the team as they are arrayed in a semi-circle around the board, some standing, others sitting either in chairs or on the edges of desks, "None that our initial enquiries can come up with. I've spoken to one of the detectives with the ACPD running the case and he couldn't find any connection between the victims besides the murders MO….well, except for one thing."

"What thing?" Castle asks from where he is sitting perched on the edge of his desk.

"The other two victims, a Brian Samuels and Helen Nguyen both worked in tourist business on the boardwalk as well. Samuels drove one of those tricycles that take tourists up and down the boardwalk and Nguyen worked in an Ice Cream Parlour. It might not be significant as tourism is the main source of what little employment there is in AC," shrugs Kent.

"We can't discount any connection though so we'll have to look closer and see if any of them interacted as part of their normal working lives," counters Beckett turning to look at each of her team.

"For all we know Natalie Collin's souvenir shop is only a couple of doors down from Helen Nguyen's Ice Cream Parlour and Brian Samuels would ride his trike past both their businesses every day," offers Castle in support of his wife.

Beckett then turns to Kaminski seated in an office chair next to Castle's desk and asks, "What did Lanie come up with when she got the body back to the morgue?"

Kaminski looks down at the notebook in his hands and responds while reading what's there, "Dr Parish was able to narrow the time of death window to between one and two AM. She also confirmed that the cause of death due to blood loss caused by a single, long, horizontal cut across the throat using a long thin bladed knife like a kitchen filleting knife, just like the murders in AC. Also, just like the murders in AC she had multiple fractures to her ribs and the bones in her legs, arms and hands all ante-mortem indicating that someone gave her a savage beating before they killed her. From the pool of blood at the base of the tree she was killed where she was found."

"What about CSU or the canvas of that area of the park did it turn up anything?" Beckett asks turning here attention back to Kent.

"From the lack of spatter in the immediate vicinity around the body CSU don't think that she was beaten there only killed and posed there. There could not find any foreign prints, fibres or DNA on the victim or on the wire that was used to bind her to the tree. The wire is a common commercial fencing wire that can be found in hundreds of hardware and large chain stores. They might be able to get tool marks on the end of the wire where it was cut and match it to any cutters we find. We just have to find them. They did identify two sets of footprints near the tree that they couldn't eliminate from the couple or the uniforms that found her. One pair is size nine and the other pair is size eleven. Both set of treads match two different brands of common workman's boots," Kent tells her.

"The canvas didn't turn anything up either," adds Douglas from where she is standing next to Kent. "Besides the two kids that found her the canvas couldn't turn up anyone that saw anything. No murder weapon was found in the vicinity and with the amount of foot traffic in that area of the park once out of the immediate vicinity of where the body was posed the tracks from the two set of boot prints near the body were lost. A K9 unit was brought in to try and track them but the scent was lost when they left the park not far from where the body was left."

Beckett turns to Ryan at that, "Get Tory access any cameras in the surrounding area outside the park where the dog lost the scent and tell her to look for two people together leaving the park between one and two AM. Also get her to check any cameras in the park that might have gotten a look at our killers between where they left the body and where they exited the park."

"I've already got her looking for three people arriving , possibly two leading or carrying the third. Now that we now when they left I'll get her to check for that as well," responds Ryan.

Beckett then turns to Gibson and asks, "What about the kids that found the body? Did they have anything useful?"

Gibson shakes her head negatively, "No, ma'am. Both are students at NYU here in the Village. They'd met at the park before class for some privacy as they both live with roommates near there. They didn't see anyone or anything suspicious before they found the body and given the time of death the killers were long gone before they got there."

"Same with Carlotti and Maxwell, the uniforms that were first on the scene," adds Castle. "They didn't find anything, no murder weapon or other evidence during their initial sweep while they waited for CSU and everyone else to arrive."

Esposito turns back to the rest of the team, having finished writing all the information just disclosed onto the board, to see Beckett turn again to look at the photo of Natalie Collins on the board as she muses aloud, "We still can't be sure why Natalie Collins was here under a fake name. Was she on the run, hiding from someone and that someone found her and killed her or was there another reason?"

"And what's the connection between her and the murders in AC?" Esposito asks her and the rest of the room.

"If we assume and I'm not saying we discount anything else yet but let's assume she was here under a false name because she knew they, whoever they are that are responsible for the killings in Atlantic City, were after her. She came here to try and escape but obviously was unsuccessful," posits Castle who has risen from his spot to stand beside Beckett, looking at the board.

"Which means that she must have a connection to Samuels and Nguyen and knew that their murderers would be coming after her next," suggests Beckett as she turns to face Castle.

"So we just have to figure out the connection between, Collins, Samuels and Nguyen and hopefully that will lead to our killers," says Castle likewise turning to face Beckett and both their eyes are alight with interest and a hint of arousal as they look at each other.

Esposito looks away so not to see yet another bout of eye sex between Castle and Beckett. He had hoped that since Castle got his star as an Auxiliary Detective and Beckett her promotion to Captain that he and Ryan would be subjected to fewer of these displays between the couple. Unfortunately they continue to be their cute, sickly sweet selves around each other.

Not that he begrudges them the obvious love and affection they have for each other. He just wishes that they would keep the lovey-dovey stuff to a minimum when they're working or when he has a full stomach.

He's not the only one that has noticed. Looking away he is looking right at his partner, Ryan, standing next to the murder board and he is studiously looking down at his shoes. From the sounds of coughing, sighing and at least one small giggle, from Gibson no doubt, he can guess that the rest of the squad have noticed the by-play between their Captain and her husband.

Fortunately Esposito's discomfort is short lived as he looks back at Becket as she turns from her staring contest with Castle to address everyone, "We're going to have to go to Atlantic City to see if we can find a connection between Collins and the other two victims. However we still have to run down any leads here, in the city, as her murder was here. So, Espo, Ryan, Gibson you remain here for the time being and investigate the New York side of Collins' murder. The rest of us, after I've spoken to 1PP and the Mayor of Atlantic City, will head there to see what we can find both about these other murders and any link between them and Natalie Collins. So those heading to AC get your gear together."

Beckett then gives a nod to everyone before heading off to her office with the obvious intention to make the calls she just mentioned. The rest of the team starts to break up but the announcement that some of the taskforce will be going to Atlantic City has triggered a memory. With that memory in mind Esposito quickly moves over to Castle to grab his arm before he can sit down at his desk.

"Hey, Sito? What's the matter?" Castle asks him looking pointedly at his grip in the writer's bicep.

Esposito takes a cautionary look towards Beckett's office and seeing her safely on the phone he hisses to Castle, "Not so loud, Castle. We don't want Beckett to hear."

Ryan, seeing the exchange has joined them, standing on the other side of Castle and looks curiously at him and asks, "Hear what, Javi?"

Keeping his voice low so that it doesn't carry into Beckett's office he looks between the two men but more particularly at Ryan as he says, "What she can't hear is what we are talking about and what she can definitely NOT hear about when she is in Atlantic City is what happened when we three were last there….you remember…..a certain case involving the Sapphire Hotel and an Impromptu Batchelor Party While On Case."

Esposito watches as Ryan's expression changes and his face goes a little pale as the realisation hits him about what Esposito is referring to.

Unfortunately Castle doesn't seem to have any similar worries as he tugs his arm free, takes his seat at his desk and scoffs, "Please, guys, that was a bachelor party. Things are supposed to be wild on a bachelor party. Kate understands that plus what we did that night was nothing to some of the escapades that I got up to in my wild single days. Kate knows about a lot of those and she still married me. It's not like any of us cheated we just had some harmless if inebriated fun. Anyway she was there at the start of the night, shared a drink with us before leaving us to it so she knows we kept going after she left. What do you think she thinks we did? Just kept drinking at that one bar all night? Please, give her and me some credit. There is no way any bachelor party I am involved in just spends the night at one bar."

Ryan chimes in nervously at this, "Yeah but, Castle. I've not told Jenny about everything that went on that night and I'd like to keep it that way. If you guys are down in AC Beckett might hear stuff."

"That's right and I especially don't want the rest of the team, especially Lanie, to hear about Ryan and me getting up and dancing with that chorus line and getting thrown out of The Borgata," adds Esposito specifically.

Infuriately Castle just gets a wistful, faraway look in his eye as he recalls, gleefully, what Esposito is talking about, "Yeah, you two did look great up on that stage amongst all those high kicking dancers. I don't think they would have minded so much if you hadn't tried to take one of their feathered headdresses to wear for yourself."

"Seriously, Castle, if Beckett hears about some of the stuff we did she'll tell Lanie and Jenny and we'll both be in trouble. And don't think you'll get off scott free. Not if she hears about you and a certain piece of machinery on the boardwalk. How is your, responsible, police Captain of a wife going to react to you covering up wonton destruction of property?" Esposito put to him forcibly.

Finally Castle gets a slight look of discomfort at that but still tries to laugh it off, "I paid for the damages it was just that the damn machine just wouldn't do to me what it did to Tom Hanks. She wouldn't get mad at me for that. That was over three years ago and we weren't even together then. Plus, as I said, things get wild during a bachelor party and Kate understands that….doesn't she?"

Castle finishes now looking uncertainly up at the two of them as Esposito and Ryan look down at him with their arms crossed over their chests as they both shake their heads emphatically at him in the negative. Castle then takes his own nervous glance towards Kate's office and then back at the two detectives standing over him.

He then shakes his head to clear his thoughts before saying with a tinge of helplessness, "I see your point but I don't know what you expect me to do about it? It's not like I can stop her from going."

"What you have to remember, bro, is that what happens in the AC, stays in the AC. So while we're stuck here you have to be the one on the ground steering Beckett away from anything incriminating," Esposito instructs him.

"That's right, Castle. Just make sure that Beckett doesn't go anywhere that we went that night and we should be fine," adds Ryan.

"I don't know guys. What if one of the places we went to comes up as part of the investigation?" Castle asks them dubiously.

"Then get her to send some of the other members of the team and don't go yourself. You might be recognised," suggests Esposito.

"Because I'm the famous and ruggedly handsome Richard Castle," preens Castle.

"No, because at some of those places they probably still remember you as the guy that had their cleaning bills skyrocket that night after you proved how much of a lightweight you can be," counters Ryan.

"That was only one club and it was at the end of the night and neither of you two covered yourselves in glory by then either if I recall. In fact I seem to remember you both being covered in something else entirely," shoots back Castle.

"Yeah, courtesy of you, jackass," hits back Esposito just as quickly.

"The point is, Castle," tries Ryan, in his most reasonable tone. "How would it look to the rest of the team if they heard about some of the stuff you, the first Auxiliary Detective and husband to our Captain, got up to that night. It might not bother you but think what it might do to Beckett's standing with the team by association."

Castle gets a chagrined look at that, "Yeah, I wouldn't want that. Ok, I'll do what I can to keep things under wraps when we're there but I can't promise anything. Remember, Kate is one hell of a detective in her own right and there's a chance she'll find out no matter what I do."

"Just do what you can, Castle. Otherwise you might find yourself walking back from Atlantic City," pronounces Esposito firmly.

* * *

 _The Castle Loft – that same afternoon_

Alexis Castle sits in her bedroom, on her bed, reading the guide that was loaned to her. There is a quick knock on her bedroom door followed by a breezy, "Alexis, darling, are you home?"

A small smile appears on her lips as she answers her grandmother, "I'm here, Grams, come in."

The words have barely left her mouth before her door is being pushed open and Martha Rodgers sails into her room dressed in a flowing dress featuring her trademark riot of colours. Before her grandmother can step any closer to where she is sitting, Alexis makes sure to close the ring binder resting on her bed.

She's obviously not quick enough, however, because she sees her Grams give her a look as she approaches the bed and she says with a wave of a bracelet encrusted arm, "No need to hide your reading from me, dear. I'm not blind and I'm not your father. If you choose a career with the organisation that document is from I'll be nothing if not proud."

Alexis blanches at having her secret being so casually called out. She hadn't thought anyone else had picked up on the future career that she was currently contemplating. She's only really discussed it with one other person, the same person that gave her the ring binder currently face down on her bed. The fact that her Grams has picked up on it so easily has her just a bit surprised. Then again she shouldn't be. This is Martha Rodgers, a woman to whom personal boundaries means nothing sometimes, especially where family is concerned. Still the fact that she's picked up on it at all has her somewhat perturbed.

Sure her Dad came close the other morning and she knows she didn't do a very convincing job in deflecting him. It's just that it's getting to the stage when she's going to have to tell him what she's thinking of doing and she's nervous of what his reaction is going to be. She doesn't want this to be another Pi situation that causes a rift between them. It's just that he can be so overprotective sometimes and what she has in mind is going to send his overprotectiveness into overdrive.

"You haven't mentioned this to Dad, have you?" she asks Martha anxiously.

Again Martha waves away her concerns with a dismissive wave of her arm, "Of course not, dear. I'll leave you to tell your father in your own time and your own way. The only thing I'll say is that you should tell him soon. You never know he might able to give you some useful advice for once to help you make up your mind."

"You're sure he won't just freak out?" Alexis presses.

Martha dips her head in acceptance of possibility, "Well, yes given your father's rather dramatic attitude towards some of your past life decisions I won't deny that him going a tad overboard in his reaction isn't out of the question. But you can't hide this from him forever and given his current choice of career he can hardly object to the one you are contemplating. That and if you make sure to tell him when Katherine is around her presence is sure to be a calming influence on him. Not to mention she might have some useful input as well."

Alexis now ducks her head and hunches her shoulders as she answers, "I know I've got to tell him, both of them, but I'm still not a hundred percent this is what I want. Until I'm sure it is I don't see the need to worry him."

"Well, whatever you say, dear. I'm sure you know what you are doing," responds Martha. "Now speaking of that part-time policeman of a son of mine and his exquisite wife, I take it that they are both at work?"

"Yeah, I got a text from Dad saying that they caught a case out of town. They'll be round later to pick up their go-bags before heading out," Alexis informs her.

Martha gives a little huff at the news, "Oh well. I was hoping to speak to your father about him lending me Paula to help with publicity for the play my students are putting on in a couple of months. I'll just have to hope they solve whatever case they have quickly so that I can talk to him about it when he gets back."

Standing from her bed, Alexis asks her, "Did you want to stay for dinner? You might still be able to grab him when he stops by for his bag."

"Oh, no thank you, dear. I've got a dinner date with an old friend who's visiting from the west coast. Anyway, your father will be in too much of a rush and while that might mean he'll say yes more easily I can wait until I can talk to him properly about it. Just like I think you should talk to him properly about your proposed future as soon as he gets back," Martha suggests pointedly to her.

Alexis gives an exaggerated eye-roll that she may or may not have copied from Kate at her grandmother's persistence but she relents a little in her reply, "I'll think about it, Grams."

She pauses for a moment as an idea comes to her and she says, "Actually, I think I'll head out too. There's someone I want to talk to again before I speak to Dad and they'll probably be unavailable for the immediate future as well."

* * *

 _A/N: There you all go. More info on the case and a progression, of sorts, in what is going on with Alexis. More on that in the next chapter._

 _As I was writing this I realised that this is the first time that Martha has appeared in this universe. She was referenced in the previous story but never actually appeared. It's odd because I like Martha's character but for some reason I couldn't fit her into that story. For such a flighty character sometimes she is remarkably wise and insightful which is a little of what I'm going with here._

 _Less than a week to new Castle episodes. Here's hoping the rest of the season is at least a slight improvement on what we've had so far._


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: If I owned Castle there is a good chance I wouldn't be writing this so obviously I don't._

* * *

 _The Java Joint – three blocks from the 12_ _th_ _Precinct_

"Thanks for meeting with me," Alexis tells the woman seated at the small round table near the back of the coffee shop as she sits down in the empty seat opposite her, placing her recently purchased latte on the table between them. "I know you're heading out of town so I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions."

Special Agent Alice Douglas shrugs her shoulders, takes a sip of her cappuccino and says nonchalantly, "No problem, Alexis." The agent nudges a black duffle bag at her feet with her black, high heeled boots, "I'm all ready to go I'm just waiting for Kaminski to pick me up and here is as good a place as any. He's not going to be here for at least another half hour so we've got a little time. So, what did you want to ask me?"

Alexis pauses to take a sip of her own coffee and to gather her thoughts before answering, "Well, I've read the recruitment packet you gave me and I just wanted to confirm with you if you think that if I take a major in forensic science with a minor in law that a degree like that I'd fulfil the education requirements for the FBI?"

Douglas gives her a shewed look as she answers, "If you graduate with a degree like that you would be exactly the type of person the bureau is looking for, but I think already you know that. So what is it really that you want to ask me?"

Alexis ducks her head in embarrassment for a moment and her long red hair falls in front of her face, hiding it. Then she squares her shoulders, raises her head, pushes her hair from her face, looks Douglas in the eye and asks frankly, "Do you honestly think I have what it takes to be and FBI Agent? I know that I've led what some would call an easy and privileged life and I don't have a quarter of the life experience of some of the people that apply to join the bureau. I'm just a rich kid from Manhattan whose dad and step-mom just happen to be cops, my dad just a part-time one at that. Is someone with my background cut out to be an FBI Agent? Am I being totally unrealistic in even considering joining the bureau?"

Douglas pauses for a couple of seconds to take another sip of her coffee and Alexis awaits anxiously for her response to her question, "Alexis, if I didn't think you were a promising candidate I wouldn't have given you that recruitment packet. Look, I've known you for a little over six months now and what I've seen in you over that time tells me that you would be a great asset to the FBI. You are intelligent, resourceful and sensible, a lot more sensible than I was in college. The internships you've done, at the OCME and with the Justice Initiative, are ideal for a career as a lawyer, medical examiner or in law enforcement. Then, if my own observations of your qualities weren't enough, the stories your dad tells about you, zip lining from the roof of your home to beat him at laser tag for instance, just reinforces my belief that you are just the type of quick-witted young person the bureau is looking for. Hell, I'd almost go as far to say that you're whole life seems to be leading you to this what with what you've told me about having helped your dad with the research for his books back when you were in high school."

There is silence between them as Alexis considers the agent's words. Deep down she knows the agent is right. She wouldn't be here, asking Agent Douglas' advice otherwise. It's just that this is a big step. If she is successful with her application then this is what her life is going to be and she's been so uncertain at what her future would be that she's second guessing herself. Does she really want to be an FBI Agent?

She is interrupted from her musing as Douglas asks her, "What do your dad and Captain Beckett-Castle think?"

Alexis almost ducks her head in embarrassment again and she can feel the heat flush into her cheeks. Not for the first time she curses her pale complexion as plainly Douglas sees the sudden blush to her cheeks and correctly interprets why the young woman in front of her is so embarrassed.

"You haven't discussed this with them?" Douglas asks her incredulously. "From what you and your dad have told me you guys talk to each other about everything, so why wouldn't you talk to him about this? Why would you discuss with me, a relative stranger, and not with him, not to mention your step-mom, the most important decision about your future that you could possibly make?"

"You don't really know my dad. He's got an overprotective streak in him as wide as the Hudson which wasn't helped when I was abducted when I was a freshman. There is no way I'd get an objective opinion from him about this. You should have seen him when I started dating. To this day I'm convinced that he had Detectives Ryan and Esposito do a background check on my first boyfriend and every one since," Alexis confides to her.

"But what about the Captain? Surely you can trust her opinion. From what I've heard she wasn't much older than you are now when she decided to become a cop. Granted her motivation was a lot more different than yours but she seems to be the level headed one of your parents so I can't see why you haven't spoken to her?" Douglas presses.

Alexis rolls her eyes in a very Beckett way at that as she answers, "Because my dad and Kate have both promised the other that they will tell each other everything. Keep no secrets. You see, keeping secrets and telling lies almost destroyed their relationship before it could even get started so they made a pact to keep no more secrets from one another. If I talk to Kate about this then she'll have to tell dad and then I'll be exactly where I don't want to be in the first place. With a worrying father trying to talk me out of it."

"Tell me you see the irony of talking about your parent's promising not to keep secrets from each other and yet you are doing exactly that to them?" Douglas asks her pointedly.

This time Alexis does duck her head again in embarrassment and Agent Douglas continues, "I don't know how comfortable I am keeping this from them. I work with them both and your step-mom is my boss. As it is I almost discussed this with your dad this morning but he had to take a call on his cell and then we were hit with this new case so I didn't get a chance. Did you really expect me not to mention this to either of them? What do want me to do? Lie for you?"

Alexis head jerks up at that so that she can look at Douglas in the face again as she says earnestly, "No, Agent Douglas, I'd never ask you to do that. I am going to tell them and soon. I'm just trying to figure out the right time and the right way. I was thinking of telling them both when you all get back from your latest case. Until then could we just keep this between us…please?"

The young redhead puts on her best pleading, puppy dog look. A look that her dad can never resist and Douglas huffs in frustration at how blatantly she is trying to manipulate the agent.

"Look, I promise not to say anything to them until this case is done but I won't lie to them if either of them asks me about it," promises Douglas.

Alexis sits back in her chair in relief at that, "Thanks, that's a relief. Neither of them should ask you about it because, besides one other person, you are the only one who knows I've been considering this."

Douglas gives her a sceptical look as she responds, "You're sure about that? You do know what good detectives your parents are? You're absolutely confident that they won't figure out what you're considering on their own?"

Confidently Alexis tells her, "I'm sure. When I'm ready I'll tell them both and by then I'll have no more doubts and my decision will be final. Then there is nothing my dad will be able to say or do to convince me otherwise."

* * *

 _Atlantic City Police Department Headquarters, 1100 N Albany Ave, Atlantic City – the next morning_

Detective Ray Mayhew of the Atlantic City Police Department, white, in his mid-forties and with receding sandy hair looks up from the forensic report he is reading at the insistent whisper of "Ray "from the desk opposite his. There he sees, sitting at the desk pushed up against his own, his partner, fiftyish, white, balding and overweight, Jack Pritchard indicating with his head towards the entry to the detective's squad's bullpen across the room.

With more than a bit of surprise Mayhew sees a group of eight people trooping into the bullpen heading with purpose towards their Captain's, Captain Charles Thomson, office. What has the feelings of apprehension coupled with indignation rise in his belly is the fact the group is being led by the Mayor, Patrick Waller, and city Councilwoman Rachel Zamis.

Both the Mayor and the Councilwoman have been pushing him and his partner, through the Chief and their Captain, for a quick resolution to what the press has dubbed the 'Wired-Up' killings. He and Pritchard have tried to ignore the pressure from above and continue their investigation like any other but the publicity the two murders has generated has made that next to impossible.

Then there have been the not too subtle implications, mainly from the late forties, raven haired Councilwoman Zamis, that he and his partner, both Vice detectives, are not equipped to solve two such high profile murders. The ACPD is not a large force and does not have a dedicated homicide bureau so he and Jack mainly work Vice cases but as the two most experienced detectives in the department have been given the cases of the murders of Brian Samuels and Helen Nguyen.

With no new leads and their Captain less than enthusiastic about their current prime suspect he and Jack have both been worried that the cases would be taken away from them. That suspicion has not been helped with the news of a murder of an Atlantic City resident in New York with the same MO. When he'd spoken to that detective from New York on the phone about their cases he'd had a sense of foreboding at the time that this third murder would be just the excuse the brass and politicians would need to take the cases off their hands.

"Who do you think they are, Ray? Feds?" whispers his partner at him as they both look at the people now grouped in front of the Captain's office as the Mayor introduces their white, bull headed superior to the leader of the group. A late thirties, tall, striking looking woman with shoulder length brown hair, wearing a navy blue trench coat over similarly coloured slacks and what look to be four inch heeled boots.

Mayhew looks over the group of professionally dressed people made up of three men and three women and answers uncertainly, "I don't know, Jack, could be." Mayhew then sees the upside down triangle badge on the hip of the tall black haired man and whispers back to his partner, "Looks like they could be state troopers."

"Staties! Why would Waller call the state boys and girls in? Ever since that verbal dust up he had with Christie a few months back our good ol' Mayor has had nothing nice to say about the state government," counters Pritchard in indignation.

Seeing Captain Thomson looking over in their direction to be soon followed by a beckoning arm and a call of, "Mayhew, Pritchard, over here!" he mutters to his partner as they rise in answer to the summons, "Looks like we're about to find out."

Walking up together to the assorted group of what he assumes are New Jersey State Police detectives Mayhew can't help but feel a little self-conscious as the group turns their collective curious gaze on him and his partner. Not that he's going to be intimidated by a bunch of cops that, in his mind, are more suited handing out speeding tickets on the freeway than handling a double murder investigation. Because there can only be one reason why this bunch has been brought here by the Mayor and Zamis.

As they walk up to the assembly Mayor Waller says to the tall woman next to him, "Captain Beckett-Castle, these are Detectives Ray Mayhew and Jack Pritchard, the leads on the case. Detectives, this is Captain Beckett-Castle of the NYPD. She leads a multi-jurisdictional taskforce that caught the Collins murder in New York and I think she and her team can help you with your cases as well, seeing as they are seemingly linked."

Mayhew gives the Mayor a hard look and then, ignoring the out-of-towners for the moment, turns to Captain Thomson and protests, "Captain, Jack and I don't need any help. We are perfectly capable of solving both cases ourselves and we don't need a bunch of outsiders taking over."

The muttered, "Damn straight," from his partner beside him is lost to everyone else as Councilwoman Zamis chimes in unhelpfully with, "With all due respect, Detective, but as far as I'm aware you have no clear suspect for these murders and have no likelihood of coming up with one anytime soon. In my opinion the Mayor is right and you and your partner need all help you can get on this one. As both murders have happened in my district I am more than keen for these murders to be solved quickly and the perpetrators be brought to justice. With the hard economic times the city is having at the moment we can't afford the bad press this is giving us."

Before Mayhew can let Zamis know exactly what he thinks of her and her opinions the leader of the taskforce, Captain Beckett-Castle, steps between the ACPD Detectives and the politicians and addresses the Mayor and Zamis, "Mr Mayor, Councilwoman Zamis, my taskforce and I are not here to step on anyone's toes and if these detectives think they can solve these cases without us we are not about to force our assistance on them. The number of times, when I was a Detective in New York, and a case I was close to solving would be taken away from me by the FBI or other agencies means that I can sympathise with and understand these men's position."

She then pauses and turns to Mayhew and Pritchard and Mayhew is struck by the beauty of the Captain and the clear intelligence in her eyes as she now addresses the two of them, "That being said, Detectives, my people and I have more experience successfully closing homicides than anyone I'd wager you know. We have skills and resources that you don't and I promise that we won't take over but work with you to solve these murders. In the end, when we find out who did this, you guys will get the credit for the arrest. As far as everyone else is concerned we are here just to offer some technical assistance and additional personnel. The case is still yours and you are still the leads. So I say why not take advantage of us being here and together we can bring justice for these victims?"

The woman's words and the honest way in which she has addressed them has swayed Mayhew. 'What the hell,' he thinks. They actually could use a hand with this and this taskforce is already handling what looks to be a connected case in New York. He can't make this decision alone, however, so he looks at his partner enquiringly.

Pritchard looks back at him and then shrugs his shoulders and nods his acceptance of Captain Beckett-Castle's words. With his partner's agreement Mayhew sighs and says, "I guess Jack and I could use a few extra pair of hands on this. Ok, we'll work with you and your people, Captain. Just so long as you share everything with us including everything you find out in relation to your case in New York."

Captain Beckett-Castle gives him a nod of respect, "Of course, Detective Mayhew. All I ask is that you and your partner do the same."

Mayor Waller clapping his hands together brings their attention back to him and he says happily, "Well now that's settled perhaps you can fill the Captain and her team in on where you are with your investigation." He turns to the Councilwoman and says, "Come on, Rachel. Let's leave these people to their work."

Councilwoman Zamis nods in ascent to the Mayor but says to Captain Beckett-Castle pointedly but with her best politician charm, "I'd appreciate regular updates from you, Captain. I know with you and your people involved then justice is sure to be served."

With that passing shot the Mayor and Zamis walk out of the bullpen and Mayhew sees his Captain give an audible sigh of relief at that before saying to Mayhew, "Ray, why don't you show the Captain and her people the conference room and they can set up there. Once their settled give them a rundown of where you are so far." Captain Thomson then turns to his New York counterpart and says pleasantly, "Anything you need, Captain Beckett-Castle and my team is at your disposal. Frankly I'm glad you're here. Ray and Jack are good but these two cases have got everyone stuck so whatever help you can give us will be greatly appreciated by me."

With a nod Captain Thomson departs to his office and Mayhew waves with his right hand for the group to follow him towards the aforementioned conference room on the other side of the bullpen as he says, "This way, Captain."

Inside the room, with its plain wood table seating ten, the TV in a bracket from the ceiling and whiteboard fixed to the wall at one end, he watches as the members of the taskforce spread out around the room. They place the cases, backpacks and other bags that, he now notices they are carrying, on the conference room table and start unpacking them.

Seeing him and his partner standing to the side watching them one of the group, a tall brown haired and frankly handsome man in black slacks, maroon shirt, dark sports coat and with a star shaped badge on his belt that Mayhew doesn't recognise, steps up to him and Pritchard holding out his hand to shake, "Detectives, I'm Detective Richard Castle, NYPDA. Let me do the introductions." Detective Castle then points to each occupant of the room as he introduces them to the ACPD Detectives.

"You've already met our fearless leader, Captain Kate Beckett-Castle and yes, as our names suggests we are related. I have the distinct honour to be her husband but don't worry I only salute her outside the home," Detective Castle tells them with faux seriousness behind his hand.

"Castle!" comes in a mildly scolding tone from the Captain nearby as she takes a laptop from a bag that she's taken from one of the other members of the team.

Looking mildly chastised Detective Castle gives Mayhew and Pritchard a lopsided grin as he responds, "Sorry, Captain. I'll try to keep it professional. Now, where was I..Oh yes, so three of our team are back in New York but that tall strapping man who looks like Henry Cavill is Detective Sergeant David Kent of the New Jersey State Police and it is through his presence that we have jurisdiction here. The blond haired woman in the severe black pants suit next to him is our federal friend, Special Agent Alice Douglas of the FBI. Over there, the burly fellow with the crew cut, is Detective John Kaminski of the Connecticut State Police."

At this point Mayhew's partner, Pritchard, interrupts Castle before he can introduce the remaining member of his team, "Wait, are you the same Richard Castle who's a writer?"

The man pushes his shoulders back and stands a little straighter as he replies, "Yes I am. Why are you a fan of my work?"

"Well, not me, but my wife, Belinda, is. I think she's got everyone of your books," Mayhew is surprised to hear his partner tell the now almost preening man in front of them.

"Really! Well I'd be happy to meet her sometime, maybe sign some of her copies. Anything for a fan and the wife of a fellow member of law enforcement," Castle says with a charming smile.

"So, you're a cop that writes books?" asks Mayhew with honest curiosity.

"More like a writer that hung around real cops for 'research' so long that he finally decided he better become one," interrupts a voluptuous black woman cheekily that has joined them at that moment. "And please don't encourage him or his big head won't fit in this room."

"Gentlemen, let me introduce Dr Lanie Parish, our Medical Examiner and expert on telling it how it is, even if people don't want to hear it," Castle says with a teasing look back at the doctor.

"Watch it, Writer-boy, or I'll tell these two about what you did when you were attacked by that guy that thought he was a vampire," counters Dr Parish and Castle holds up his hands in mock surrender. The ME turns back to Mayhew and Pritchard and asks, "Detectives, would one of you be able to take me to your morgue? I'd like to introduce myself to your ME and ask them if I could examine the bodies of your victims for myself."

Captain Beckett-Castle joins them as well and asks as well, "It would be a help if Mr Parish could do her own examination of the bodies. She'll be able to compare them to her findings from the victim in New York and we can fully confirm that the cases are linked. So I'd appreciate it if one of you could take her."

Mayhew shares a look with Pritchard and his partner then looks back at the Captain and says, "Sure thing, Captain, I'll take her. If you'll come with me, Dr Parish"

Mayhew watches his partner lead the ME out of the room but is attention is soon called back to the tall woman and man in front of him as she asks, "In the meantime, Detective, if you don't mind running through what you've got and we'll run through what we have on Natalie Collins' murder so far. Perhaps together we can figure out the link between your victims and ours."

"Sure, I'll just go get the files from my desk," answers Mayhew and he leaves the conference room to do just that.

As he walks to his desk he wonders how such a diverse group, particularly the writer come cop and his wife, are going to help him and his partner solve their cases? He hopes they can and that they can be believed when they say that don't want to take over. He hopes he can trust them.

Well, he thinks, only time will tell.

* * *

 _A/N: So now we know what Alexis is up to. Given Alexis history you could say that she's almost been groomed for a career in law enforcement or the favourite fan writer theory of a doctor, maybe even and ME. For me they are more probable than her as a PI. Not that the writers seem to be following through with that, like a lot of things. Anyway I don't want to start ranting about season 8 or this will be as long as the rest of the chapter._

 _Thanks very much to everyone who is reading, reviewing, following or making this story their favourite._


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Castle is not something I own. Only the original characters from this story and universe belong to me._

* * *

 _The Valhalla Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City_

Castle walks into the lobby of the Valhalla with Kate and Detective Mayhew of the ACPD and looks around at the faux marble entry dominated by an eight feet tall statue that he suspects, from the axe, shield and horned helmet, is supposed to be the Viking god Odin. They are here following up on the only lead that Detectives Mayhew and Pritchard have regarding their cases.

Earlier the ACPD Detective had gone over with him and the rest of the taskforce what they had on the murders of Brian Samuels and Helen Nguyen, which wasn't much. Brian Samuel's body had been found bound to a support underneath the Boardwalk not far from the kiosk where he worked as a tricycle driver for tourists. Helen Nguyen was found bound to a lamp post in an alley behind the ice cream parlour where she worked.

Unfortunately there were no witnesses or cameras that saw either them being taken to each location or bound up for display and no forensic evidence that could help. Just like the murder of Natalie Collins in New York both had been savagely beaten before their throats had been cut where their bodies had been found. The one new development they had, which they discovered after the murder of Natalie Collins was why he, Kate and Mayhew were here at the Valhalla.

Mayhew and Pritchard had run through the lives of their victims looking for any commonalities that would explain why they were killed by what the MO indicates is the same persons. That it was two persons was one helpful fact that the taskforce was able to give them given the footprints found at the New York crime scene.

Initially they had found nothing that stood out but with the Natalie Collin's murder they had taken another look and had gone more into the past lives of all the victims, including Collins and that is when they found a connection. All three victims, Samuels, Nguyen and Collins had worked at one time or the other at the Valhalla Hotel and Casino. That had immediately peaked the ACPD Detective's interest. Mayhew had told them that if the taskforce hadn't turned up then he and his partner were going to come down here and have a chat with the person they now considered a prime suspect.

That person is the General Manager of the Valhalla, Joseph 'Happy Joey' Liguria, a man that the ACPD Detective told them was someone they've been wanting to get their hands on for a very long time. According to Mayhew they suspected Liguria, as his name and heritage suggests, of having mob ties and being responsible for a fair proportion of the organised crime here in Atlantic City. Drugs, prostitution and protection rackets were just some of the crimes that they were sure the head of the Valhalla was responsible for but they hadn't been able to pin anything on him. If they had the man wouldn't be free not to mention that the New Jersey Gaming Commission wouldn't let Liguria run the Valhalla.

The fact that all three of their victims worked for 'Happy Joey' in the past had immediately given them some possible motives for the killings. In their minds either Liguria had them killed for some indiscretion the three victims had perpetrated against the suspected mobster or he'd killed them to cover up one of his operations that they were involved with or they were killed by a rival group of criminals that wanted to hurt Liguria's business. Either way it had made Liguria the number one person of interest in the Atlantic City Detective's minds.

Castle wasn't so sure and he knew Kate shared his reservations. Oh, they would still check the connection that their victims had with the supposed criminal but to him it just seemed too obvious. If he was writing this 'Happy Joey' would be the obvious chief suspect that turned out to be the red herring to distract the reader from the real killers. It wasn't impossible that Liguria is behind this, of course, it would be just so obvious that there would be no challenge in it. Also, given his purported professional criminal background, it was unlikely they would find anything that would tie Liguria directly to the murders.

The three of them walk through the lobby and into the darker gaming floor where they are surrounded by the colour and noise of hundreds of slot machines their video screens and assorted lights flashing at them as they pass. Here and there the occasional grey haired gambler, both male and female, are seated at the machines feeding some of their retirement savings into the ravenous devices vainly hoping to be rewarded with the bright lights and trumpeting sounds that indicate they've struck it rich.

They barely make it a few feet into the floor before thee men approach them all wearing dark suits and with wired earpieces in their ears. The middle of the trio, a swarthy, man with black hair slicked back with enough product to cause an environmental hazard if the man ever went swimming in the ocean, Castle suspects, addresses Mayhew cockily, "Detective Mayhew, to what do we owe the pleasure? Have you decided to try your luck at our tables or is this a business call?"

"We're here to talk to your boss, Dundalli, not the hired help. So why don't you be a good little minion and take us to him," shoots back Mayhew.

The fake smile on the man's face doesn't shift but Castle sees a definite flash of anger in the man's eyes at being called a minion. Dundalli, the gold name tag on his suit proclaiming him to be the Valhalla's Chief of Security, then turns his attention onto Kate and himself and asks with feigned charm, "And who are your friend's, Detective? I don't think we've seen them here before."

Kate steps forward at that, holding up her crown topped badge, "I'm Captain, Beckett-Castle and this is Detective Castle. We're from the tristate taskforce assisting the ACPD and we'd appreciate it if you would stop wasting our time and take us to Joseph Liguria."

The Valhalla's security chief holds up his hands in mock surrender as he says, "Of course, Captain. Right this way. I'm sure Mr Liguria will be happy to meet with you."

Dundalli then turns, waving for the detectives to follow him but as they do so Castle can't help but notice that the two large thugs in suits that accompanied Dundalli take position behind them, obviously escorting them. So escorted they weave their way deeper onto the gaming floor, between the slot machines and various tables of blackjack, craps, roulette and other games of chance.

It is as they pass a large group of Asian gamblers gathered around a Sic Bo table that a blond haired female waitress dressed in a revealing costume that looked like something out of that old TV show, Xena Warrior Princess, and carrying a tray of drinks stops as they pass and calls out pleasantly, "Welcome back, Mr Castle. Good to see you again."

Castle whips his head around as they pass the waitress and she smiles knowingly at him. It is at that moment that Castle remembers that the Valhalla was one of the many places that he, Ryan and Esposito visited during the Irish Detective's impromptu bachelor party and how the two Detectives were so concerned that what they got up to on that night remain a secret. Fortunately Dundalli has drawn ahead a bit so he didn't hear the greeting from the waitress but the casino's head of security isn't his main concern. No, as they leave the smiling waitress behind, Castle turns his attention to the person who is his main concern, his wife.

When his gaze falls on Kate he can see his and the boys concern is well founded as she is looking at him with blatant curiosity, eyebrow cocked, at the familiar greeting from the scantily clad server.

"Uh,..She must remember me from my bachelor days, Kate. Before I met you, I'd occasionally come to Atlantic City for a gambling weekend. For those times when I didn't want to be bothered making the flight to Vegas," he quickly responds to the unasked question in her expression.

A sceptical look crosses Kate's face as she says, "From your bachelor days, Castle. That's what you're going with, huh?"

"Yes, I was a regular at all the casinos here in Atlantic City at one time I'm sure she remembers me from then," reassures Castle, he hopes convincingly.

A confident look now graces Kate's face that in no way alleviates Castle's concern as she says, "Oh, well, I'm sure I'll find out one way or the other if you're telling the truth. You know you can't keep secrets from me anymore so I'm sure to find out where she knows you from."

"Kate, I assure you that she only recognised me as a one-time good customer and generous tipper and that's all. I swear to you that there was nothing more between us," he tries to reassure her truthfully because he doesn't want her thinking that there might have been anything else between him and the woman. He definitely does not want her to think that she was another Jacinda.

"Whatever you say, Castle. I believe you…for now," Kate responds teasingly as they are led through a door at the back of the gaming floor into offices of the casino.

As they are led deeper into the back rooms of the casino Castle thinks on how Ryan and Espo were right about not wanting Kate to find out what they got up too last time they were here. He tries to remember the woman that just greeted him but he can't…..wait, yes he can. At one point of the night they'd ended up here at the Valhalla where he had staked the three of them for some poker in a high-rollers room and she was the one that served them drinks while they were there. As is usual in high-rollers rooms the drinks were comped by the casino and so he and the boys were not feeling any pain at all by the time they rolled themselves out of here quite a few casino chips lighter.

Castle takes a small sigh of relief. Nothing too shameful in that even if Kate does find out about it and that waitress probably does just remember him as a generous tipper which he knows he is when the scotch is flowing freely. Then again this little incident has reminded him to step up his game if he wants to keep Kate from finding out the more embarrassing events from that night. He should have remembered they came here to the Valhalla when Mayhew said they were coming here. Unfortunately for Castle, a lot of that night is a blur and so he is struggling to remember all of the places they went to back then. He just better hope that his memory improves otherwise there could be some in no way pleasant or naked punishment in his future from Kate.

In step with Kate he follows Mayhew and Dundalli into a large, well-furnished office that has a bank of plasma screens along one wall showing feeds from the numerous security cameras around the casino. To one side of these screens, behind a large modern desk, in a high backed leather office chair sits a man that Castle supposes is "Happy Joey" Liguria. The alleged mobster is in his late forties, with average height, tanned skin, dressed in an expensive and shiny black suit with a black, silk shirt and with thick black hair styled on his head in a wavy fashion that screams cliché for Castle for how much it makes Liguria look like a suspected mob boss.

The fake smile of a crocodile appears on Liguria's lips at the sight of his visitors as he says in a voice dripping in false charm, "Detective Mayhew, it's good to see you. It's always an honour to host some of Atlantic City's finest at our little establishment, as I was only telling Chief Lewis that the other day." The man makes a show of looking past Mayhew, "I don't see your partner, Detective Pritchard, but I see you have brought some new friends for me to meet. Captain Beckett-Castle and her husband, novelist and now Detective, Richard Castle, welcome to the Valhalla to the both of you. If I'd known such a famous couple were visiting our fair city I would have offered you rooms here at our hotel, free of charge."

From where he is standing Castle can see both his and Kate's photographs above lines of text on the computer screen on Liguria's desk so it is clear how he knows who they are. No doubt he saw them arrive on the camera feeds, heard their names when they were met by Dundalli and took the time to look them up as they were on their way here. He imagines that the bio on him wouldn't have much more than the one he saw at the Sapphire a couple of years ago but he is curious to see what they have on Kate. Given how casinos share information about their guests perhaps there might be information on a certain wild night in Vegas back when she was in college at Stamford including a certain supposedly joke nuptials that turned out to be oh so real.

Then again given the drama and trauma they both experienced following the discovery of Kate's previously unknown first husband maybe he doesn't want to know the details of that weekend.

"Mr Liguria, we are here to ask about three former employees of yours, Brian Samuels, Helen Nguyen and Natalie Collins," says Kate to the mobster from where she is standing beside Castle. "We understand that they all worked here at the Valhalla at one time or other?"

Liguria shares an amused look with Dundalli who, with the three thugs that had accompanied them in to the office is standing to one side of his boss' desk as said boss responds in an off-hand manner, "They may have worked here at the Valhalla, Captain, I lot of local people have done so and still do. This property is significant employer in the local community so these people you refer to might have worked here along with hundreds of others over the years. I'll have to check with my head of HR to be sure. Why? What have these people done to warrant the attention of some fancy taskforce out of New York?"

"They're dead, Liguria, and don't pretend you don't know. Nothing goes on in this town without you knowing about it or being responsible for it," answers Detective Mayhew aggressively. "Three people all beaten, murdered and then their bodies tied up so that they could be found. Almost like someone was angry with these three people and wanted to send a message. Someone like a former employer perhaps?"

Another quick look flashes between Liguria and Dundalli and this time there is a flash of something other than confidence in that look. To Castle it would seem that prior to this moment Liguria was in control but the mention of the murders has made him lose a little of that control.

Castle is therefore not surprised at the chilly tone that now replaces the charming one that now comes from Liguria's mouth as he says, "Detective Mayhew, I know nothing about any murders," Liguria pauses as a look of realisation appears on his face. "The 'Wired-Up' murders. Are you saying that these people are the victims and just because they worked here at the Valhalla I just have to be involved in such a thing?" Liguria shakes his head with exaggerated disbelief, "I'm disappointed in you Detective that you could think so badly of me. Me an upstanding local businessman and all in front of our friends from New York here. What must they think of me? If I wasn't in a forgiving mood I might take action to show you the error of your ways."

"Is that a threat, Liguria," demands Mayhew, taking an angry step towards the seated man. The three 'security guards' standing near their boss move their hands under their jackets, obviously reaching for weapons at the aggressive move from the ACPD Detective.

Castle feels Kate tense beside him and her hand strays close to the front of her open trench coat so that she can reach for her weapon if needed. Not wanting for there to be a shoot-out here in this office, Castle steps forward to intercede and says calmly, "Detective, I'm sure Mr Liguria here wouldn't dream of threatening a police officer just as I'm sure he will do everything he can to assist us with our investigation. Otherwise we may have to come back with some friends from the state gaming commission and once they're here who knows what information they may find that may or may not be related to our cases."

Castle looks pointedly at the seated Liguria, "I think he'll find it in his best interests to cooperate with us."

Liguria returns Castle's look for a long beat before shrugging his shoulders and answering nonchalantly, "Of course, Billy here will give you what you need." He indicates with a casual waving hand towards Dundalli. "Anything for the boys and girls in blue. But I assure you Detective you'll find nothing that will connect me or any of my people with these murders."

"Thank you, Mr Liguria. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated. Perhaps you could start by telling us where you were the night before last and two nights before that and again the Wednesday before that?" asks Kate who has stepped up to stand close beside him.

Liguria takes another long moment before answering, "On each of the nights in question I was here, at the Valhalla, and I've got over a dozen witnesses that can vouch for me," responds Liguria matter-of-factly.

"Yeah and all of them conveniently work for you, don't they, Joey," scoffs Mayhew. "Not that you'd get your hands dirty yourself. No, you'd send your little lap dog here to do the deed," says Mayhew dismissively nodding his head in Dundalli's direction.

Liguria fixes a long glare on Mayhew at his comment before obviously deciding to ignore it as he turns to Kate and Castle and says pleasantly, "Captain, Detective Castle, if you will all go with Billy he'll take you to our HR department and they can answer any questions you might have about your victims time here under our employment. If you'll excuse me, I'm a busy man and I have an important meeting waiting for me."

Mayhew, however, is not finished despite the mobster's dismissal as he says in his own pointed tone, "Don't think that we won't be back if we find one little thing that links you to our victims other than their having worked here and when we do I'll be more than happy to take you down to the station in handcuffs myself."

Liguria fixes his glare back on Mayhew as he answers in a careful tone portraying how the man is trying to reign in his emotions, "I assure you, Detective, you will find nothing. Good day!"

With that final tone of dismissal Liguria indicates with his hand towards the door of his office and Dundalli and the two thugs step forward likewise indicating that the three Detectives should leave the room.

"Thank you again for your time, Mr Liguria. We _will_ be back if we have any further questions," Kate tells the seated mobster calmly, wanting it to look like they are leaving on their own terms while making it clear that the mobster is still a suspect.

With that Kate turns on her heels and strides from the room and Castle instantly follows her lead and her out the door. Mayhew is a little bit slower as he pauses to give Liguria another pointed look before he follows Kate out of the room with Dundalli and the two thugs close behind.

It is a little time later, with copies of their three victims on a thumb drive courtesy of the Valhalla's HR department, that he and Kate are in her car following Detective Mayhew's cruiser back to the ACPD headquarters. From her place behind the wheel Kate asks, "So what do you think, Castle? Is Liguria our guy?"

Castle shrugs his shoulders noncommittally, "I don't know, Kate. I don't see it myself. It's too obvious for one. For another in a way Mayhew is right, Liguria would never do something like this himself, he'd order some of those thugs of his to do it or hire someone from out of town. But as it is these killings don't seem like your typical mob hit to me. The way the bodies were strung up as they were killed doesn't fit the profile of what the type of people that Liguria would have at his disposal would do."

"You don't think that Mayhew might also be right in that it was done that way as a warning. To send a message to the rest of his people not to get out of line?" presses Kate.

"It's possible," Castle concedes. "I think we need more information on Liguria. His background, his past crimes and any previous MO's that might be close to this."

"Ok, when we get back I'll get Douglas to talk to her people in the FBI's Organised Crime Division to get us what they have on Liguria and his known associates. See if they can tell us if this could be him or one of his guys," Kate suggests.

Castle then has a thought and knowing Kate may not like it says carefully, "And..I…uh, would like to formally tell my Captain that I'll be talking to a confidential source to get some more background on 'Happy Joey'… though why they call him "Happy Joey" I don't know because he didn't seem very happy to me."

Kate takes her eyes off the road and regards Castle shrewdly for a long few seconds, "By confidential source I'm guessing you mean Dino Scarpella?"

Castle cringes slightly at Kate figuring him out so quickly as he reluctantly admits, "The source I'm going to talk to may have the initials DS."

With her eyes back on the traffic ahead Kate says to him slightly exasperatedly, "Castle! The last time you had anything to do with Dino Scarpella you were kicked out of the precinct and banned from being my partner. As a sworn NYPD Auxiliary Detective you can't just go and talk to one of the heads of the five families. Especially with your history with the man. Do you want to risk the DA kicking you out again? You're not just Richard Castle, famous mystery writer, that can go and talk to anyone he likes anymore as part of 'research'. No, as a law enforcement officer you have to follow proper procedure when talking to a source and particularly one as dangerous and high profile as Dino."

"But, Kate, that's why I'm formally telling you as my Captain. So that it is all above board. It's no different than me talking to any other Confidential Informant," Castle reasons, trying hard to keep the whine out of his voice as he tries to convince his wife.

"And you think that Dino won't be insulted by being considered a CI, Castle?" Kate shoots back at him. "A guy like that would hate to be thought of as a snitch. If it ever got back to him he might well forget what he owes you and any oaths you've taken and be very angry with you and he is not someone you want angry with you." Kate ends with a concerned tone in her voice.

Castle reaches across the car to squeeze her arm reassuringly, "I'll be careful, Kate. I'm only going to talk to him on the phone. Given that I'm now a cop he may not even take my call but it's worth a shot. I'm sure it will be fine."

Kate gives a disgruntled huff at that and Castle looks away and out his passenger window. "I'm sure it will be fine," he thinks to himself and as he thinks that it is almost like he is trying to convince himself of it as well.

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks to everyone that is reading this story, leaving reviews, following it and making it a favourite._

 _As to the first three episodes of season 8 we've had since getting back from the winter hiatus. I think they're better but I still wish they would dump this whole fake separation thing. As Castle said himself in the last episode, it's getting old._


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I do not own Castle. ABC does._

* * *

 _The Boardwalk, Atlantic City – dusk_

Detective Sergeant David Kent of the New Jersey State Police leans with his forearms resting on the top of the metal railing, staring out at the Atlantic Ocean in the fading, early evening light. There is a cold autumn breeze coming off the water that he can feel through the all-weather jacket he is wearing over his suit.

It is the end of the taskforce's first day here in Atlantic City and the Captain had called it after she, Castle and Detective Mayhew had returned from meeting with "Happy Joey" Liguria. So everyone had headed off to the modest 3 star hotel that the admin aide back at the 12th had booked for them and he can almost still hear the grumbling that came from Castle because they weren't staying at accommodations more suited to a best-selling author that is also happens to be a cop. Everyone on the team had been amused at how one look from their Captain had stopped Castle's complaining mid-flow.

Kent moves back one of the sleaves of his jacket to glance at his watch. He's got half an hour before he's due to meet up with the rest of the team for dinner at a steakhouse a block away from their hotel. He hopes the person he's here to meet gets here soon because he doesn't want to answer any questions, particularly from the Captain, for the reason for his tardiness.

"Come on, Dave, I'm not that late, am I?" comes a familiar voice from just behind him and he turns to the sight of his friend and old Academy buddy, Detective Paul Evans of the New Jersey State Police.

Kent shakes his head as he responds casually, "No, Paul, just checking the time. I've got to meet up with my team for dinner in a bit."

"No problem. It's good to see you man," replies his friend happily pulling the larger Kent into a brief hug.

"You too, Paul. Thanks for coming down here to meet me," says Kent sincerely as he returns the hug.

Upon releasing the hug he stands back and regards his friend, a white guy the same age as him with short brown hair and wearing a crumpled grey suit under a large all weather coat not to dissimilar from the one Kent is wearing.

It is then that Evans hands over the file folder he is carrying and passes it into the eager hands of Kent and says, "Ah, it's nothing to come here for a friend like you, Dave. Plus I got tired of waiting for your invitation to that mysterious cheap bar in Manhattan you keep telling me about." Evans indicates to the file that Kent it furiously scanning, "It's all in there. All the info that Abercrombie's team collected on Maloney's shooting right up to the end. There's not much more there than when we last spoke."

Kent quickly leafs through the pages inside rapidly taking in what is written there, helped in the fading early evening light, by the light of a nearby lamppost. As his eyes roam back and forth with what is written there he says, "Thanks, I appreciate this."

"Yeah well, seeing as officially the case is closed it wasn't that hard to get a copy. I just don't know what you expect to find though? My buddy on the team said they looked into everything related to those shooters and couldn't find anything more. From what they could see the smuggling operation those guys worked for died with them and there's been no word of any new crew taking over for them. The money and guns led nowhere and with no other leads they had nowhere else to look," Evans tells him frankly.

"I know but I owe it to Jake to keep looking even if the department has stopped," Kent admits to him just as frankly.

"What about this fancy taskforce you're a part of? Are they able to help any?" asks Evans.

Kent shakes his head, "Not at the moment. The Captain's made it clear that she knows about my continuing interest in the case and won't object as long as it doesn't interfere with my work with the taskforce. She even said to bring it to her if I found anything worth actioning but, you're right, I haven't got anything worth bringing to her yet to make this a taskforce case."

Evans shrugs his shoulders and asks, "What about asking some of the others to help you on the QT?"

Kent considers his friend's words for a moment before answering, "I don't know. A few of them, her old NYPD partners not to mention her husband who is also on the team, are pretty tight with the Captain so if I ask them it's sure to get back to her. Likewise if I go to Gibson, the New York State rep on the team, she's in such awe of the Captain that she's sure to tell her. The Fed, Douglas, she does things by the book so if I went to her, while she may not tell the Captain, she'll probably refuse to help because it's against protocol. I suppose Kaminski, the Connecticut guy with us, might help, he seems like good people. It couldn't hurt to ask I suppose. I'll just have to make sure it doesn't interfere with our cases because the Captain seems to have a sixth sense about anytime I work on this on taskforce time."

"Well, you know what you're doing I suppose. Just don't let this become your life, man. Maloney was your partner and you feel responsible and I get that but, you've got a great job with this taskforce. One I envy by the way. I don't want to see you throw it away chasing after ghosts," Evans says to him sympathetically.

Kent turns away and looks back out at the ocean as he answers, "Yeah, I hear ya, but I've told you before that I owe it to Jake to find out who was behind this. I really like working with the taskforce and I don't want to lose that but if the choice is between finding the people behind Jakes murder and being a part of the taskforce I'll choose justice for Jake every time."

* * *

 _The Wild Bean Coffee Shop, Atlantic City Boardwalk – the next morning_

Castle sits on the stool at the tall round table waiting for the barista to produce his and Kate's morning coffee orders when he feels a heavy hand fall on his shoulder as a loud, friendly if unfamiliar voice says, "Rick, my man, it's a pleasure to see you."

Surprised Castle turns on his stool to see a man in his mid-fifties, of average height if slightly overweight, with curly black hair and olive complexion signifying Italian heritage and wearing a dark blue with white stripped track-suit and clean white running shoes. He does not recognise the man who is dressed like a jogger but from the tightness of the track-suit top over the man's belly has him suspecting he hasn't jogged a day in his life. He does, however, have a sneaking suspicion who he may be connected too so he asks neutrally, "Do I know you, friend?"

"Now, Rick, what sort of welcome is that for another member of the family. Paulie Siani, at your service. Didn't Dino mention I was coming?" asks the man with a wide smile.

His suspicions confirmed Castle takes a quick look around the coffee shop to see if anyone is listening. Fortunately, except for the three staff behind the counter who seem to be taking no notice, the shop is empty for now so there is no one else here to witness this encounter. Not that this fact alleviates the nerves that spring up in his gut, for the last time he got involved with 'the family' he'd been banned from working with Kate. It was one of the reasons he became an Auxiliary Detective. To try and ensure that he couldn't so easily be cast from Kate's side again.

Last night, before they'd gone to dinner with the rest of the team, and in Kate's presence, he'd called Dino Scarpella, the head of a mafia 'family' back in New York to ask for information on their suspect "Happy Joey" Liguria. On the phone Dino had been polite but guarded making it clear without saying in so many words that he couldn't talk on the phone to a member of the NYPD about 'business'. He had said, however, that he would send him some information on Liguria for old time's sake before ending he call. Now it looks to Castle that the information Dino is sending him is coming in the form of this grinning but not very subtle man standing before him.

"Dino sent you?" he asks, possibly unnecessarily but he wants there to be no misunderstandings.

The man nods in reply, "Yep, you might say that I'm the family's representative here in the AC. Dino called me last night, told me you were in town working these 'Wired Up" murders and need some information on the local talent so here I am."

At that moment the young male barista behind the counter calls out, "One Grande cappuccino and one Grande skinny late with two shots of sugar free vanilla for Castle!"

Holding up a hand for Siani to wait Castle dashes over to the counter, thrusts a twenty at the bored looking young man saying, "Keep the change," and scoops up the take-out coffee cups. Turning back to his surprise visitor he indicates with his head for the man to follow him and he makes his way, quickly, towards the exit.

As Castle pushes his way through the glass door at the front of the coffee shop and out onto the boardwalk he could sense the presence of Paulie following close behind him. He takes some careful if furtive glances around to see if anyone is watching but can't see anyone on the cool, slightly grey, autumn morning. It is uncharacteristically early for him as Kate wanted to get an early jump on the day, and not him unfortunately, so except for a couple of joggers he can see running away from him there is no one else in sight. Not surprisingly as it seems this coffee shop is one of the few businesses open at this time with all the other assorted businesses he can see around him being closed.

Castle starts walking in the opposite direction of their hotel where he left Kate in the shower, disappointingly without him there to wash her back. He doesn't want Paulie anywhere near her or any other member of the taskforce so he is leading him away and hoping that this can be over quick and the coffees don't get cold.

The man in question falls into step beside Castle and looks at Castle with a knowing smile as he says, "Not taking me back to your hotel for breakfast I see, Rick. Don't worry, I don't want to be seen by your wife or your cop pals any more than you do so I'll make this fast for both our sakes. Frankly, when Dino told me he wanted to me to meet with you it took some convincing. Me, talk to a cop regardless of how famous or part-time you are, it's not something Paulie Siani does. But Dino told me how you helped the family and assured me that you were a stand-up guy so here I am."

Castle breaths a small sigh of relief, "That's good, Paulie, but you do know that anything you tell me I'll have to tell Kate and my teammates?"

The mobster just shrugs his shoulders, "Ah, just treat this like you're Jameson Rook and I'm one of your confidential sources. No names and no details about who I am. To them I'm a faceless source that wishes to remain anonymous but has information that might help you."

"That'll work for the team but I'll still be telling Kate everything, including who you are. As both my Captain and my wife she deserves to know. Just so we're clear," Castle tells him honestly.

This time Siani nods if a little reluctantly, "I suppose I can understand that, Dino did mention how close you two are so I shouldn't be surprised that you'd share everything with her. Just keep my name out any official records and we are sweet," Siani allows affably.

"Ok, so what do you have for me?" Castle presses wanting to get this done.

"Well, another reason that I can talk to you is that "Happy Joey" is part of a rival family so it's no skin off my nose if you are looking at him. He's pretty high up in the Morello family and runs their operations here in the AC," Siani tells him with a conspiratorial tone.

"What kind of 'operations'?" asks Castle.

"Oh, the usual, prostitution, drugs, protection rackets, unsanctioned bookmaking, loan sharking, the whole deal. What with the theme park that Vegas is now and on-line gambling, despite the crackdown Congress instigated a few years ago, taking more and more of the market share, the Valhalla isn't as profitable as it was. As a result the casino isn't the main focus for Morello's for its profits or as a place to launder their money. That and the gaming commission isn't totally clueless about Happy Joey so they are always on the lookout to try and connect any illegal activity with what goes on at the casino. Therefore Happy Joey has to run the other, more profitable, activities but he does it from a distance," confides Siani.

"How so?" Castle's interest both as a cop and a mystery writer peaked.

"He uses proxies mostly. People that have no current connection to the casino run the particular operations and report to him. People that also, on first glance, look totally clean and so are even less likely to bring anything back on Happy Joey or the casino. That way they keep what they are doing separate from the casino but he still retains control," Siani tells him.

There is a brief silence and they amble down the boardwalk, the slightly chill autumn morning breeze ruffling his hair. Castle ponders what Paulie has told him and then asks the obvious question, "So were our victims his 'proxies'? They all worked at the Valhalla in the past so while they don't have a current connection with the casino they do have a history with it and by extension, Liguria."

Paulie gives him a smile that has a little edge to it, "Dino told me you where sharp." He then dips his head in concession, "That would be my guess. I'll admit that none of the three were known to me personally but they are just the types of 'apparent' clean skins that Happy Joey would use. If that's the case then you've got your motive right there."

Castle then stops and looks Siani in the eye, "Yes, that a rival gang took them out to hurt Liguria's business. Given that and your admission that he is part of a 'rival' family how do I know you weren't involved?"

The affable face that Siani has been displaying drops for a second as he looks right back at Castle and says seriously, "I assure you, Rick that neither I nor any of my people had anything to do with this. The…uh…business I'm in doesn't intersect with what Happy Joey runs so I have no reason to start taking his people out. Besides, would I be telling you all this if I was responsible?"

"Maybe. You might want to steer the investigation in a certain direction, away from you, or you might just want to learn what we know. Either way you've got to know that by telling me this the taskforce will start looking at other 'organisations' in Atlantic City and that could include yours," Castle tells him just as seriously.

"Yeah, that was another reason why I was initially reluctant to speak to you and told Dino so but he assured me that you would only be interested in going after the killers and therefore if I had nothing to do with it then I've got nothing to worry about. Was he wrong, Rick?"

Castle takes another pause before answering, "It's true that we are primarily concerned with solving these murders and if you aren't involved then you have nothing to worry about. That said I'll give you a fair warning, Paulie that if the team finds any illegal activity, no matter who's responsible for it, then while we might not pursue it ourselves the information will be passed to those who will."

"Fair enough, Rick. I'm confident in my lack of involvement with these hits so that there'll be no reason for you guys to look at me. In fact I'd be mildly insulted if you did for no other reason that if I did wack someone there's no way I'd do it in such a showy way. Stringing up the bodies like that. No, there'd be no body to find if I, not to say that I would, had to take care of someone. Also, with the safeguards I have around my own business it's unlikely you'll find anything if you do come looking," Siani finishes with an amused glint in his eye.

"Oh, don't be too sure about that, Paulie," Castle shoots back at him, "We have an uncanny knack of finding out stuff that people want to keep secret but if you have nothing to do with these murders we shouldn't have a problem. That said can you tell me who might be responsible? Whose businesses might intersect with Happy Joey's and so have a motive for these hits?"

This time it is Paulie that looks around the empty boardwalk to see if anyone is watching as he lowers his voice and tells him, "Well, there's a Russian crew run by a guy called Oyarzov out of the warehouse district. Nasty guys. They run hookers and drugs and they've been trying to muscle in on Happy Joey's territory for years. Then there's the Baressi family. They operate from the Ace of Diamonds Hotel and are basically in the same business as the Morelli's. They've been at each other's throats since their great-granddaddies came over in the boat from Sicily. There's supposed to be a truce between them at the moment but this could indicate that the truce is over. The boss of them is Don Baressi's eldest, Sylvie Baressi, who's in-charge of client relations at the hotel."

"A female boss?" asks a surprised Castle. Not that he sees anything wrong with that himself but he knows how regressive and old fashioned the mob is so he's just surprised that a woman would have such a prominent leadership position.

"It is the twenty-first century, Rick. Plus Don Baressi only has two kids and the youngest son showed no interest in going into the family business. He's a dentist in Westchester, I understand. Sylvie, however, was more than interested in going to work for dad. After some initial resistance from the rank and file, she proved herself enough times that the Don gave her the operations here to run. Believe me she can be a ruthless bitch so don't underestimate her," Siani warns him.

Castle dips his head in acknowledgement of the warning and then asks, "Is there anything else you can tell me that might help?"

"The only other thing I'll suggest is that you look more closely at where your vic's worked. If they were proxies for Happy Joey then there's going to be something where they spent their days that will link to whatever they were running for him. It won't be obvious but if you really dig you'll find it," suggests Paulie. He then pats Castle lightly on the arm, "Well, that's all I've got for you. It's not much but it might help some. I better let you go and get that coffee to that beautiful missus of yours. Maybe when this is all over we can get together with the wives, break bread and tell some stories. A writer like you is sure to have plenty."

"Uh, yeah, sure, Paulie. I'll have to run it by Kate though so I can't promise anything, appearances and all," Castle tells him trying to subtly let the man down while not wanting to insult him. He's pretty sure that as both he and Kate are involved in such a high profile taskforce that the last thing they need are the questions and bad press they'd receive from having dinner with a suspected mob boss.

Siani waves away his fears as he responds pleasantly, "Of course, Rick, I understand. Just know the offer is there. I'll see you round."

Castle watches as the man turns and strolls away from him without an apparent care in the world, while he stands there holding the two, still warm cups of coffee in his hands. As he stands there he mulls over what the mobster just told him.

It has certainly given them more avenues to pursue. He just hopes that, despite him being essentially ambushed, Kate won't be too upset that he met Siani without her.

* * *

 _A/N: So Kent is up to his old tricks and the case is taking on a bit of a mob flavour. So many more suspects. We'll just have to see which of them did the deed._

 _Thanks to everyone taking the time to read this. I appreciate it._


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: I tried to post this earlier but wasn't working._

 _Disclaimer: Castle is not mine to own only mine to play with._

* * *

 _ACPD Headquarters – mid-morning_

Detective John Kaminski of the Connecticut State Police sits at the conference room table with Kent sitting next to him, Douglas sitting opposite, Castle sitting on the same side as Douglas but at the end of the table and opposite the seated pair of ACPD Detectives, Mayhew and Pritchard. Standing at the end of the table, near her husband, Captain Beckett-Castle is looking at the large Plasma monitor mounted on the wall there.

On the screen is the image of the three remaining members of their team, Esposito, Ryan and Gibson from the tech room at the 12th Precinct back in New York.

"Anything new on the Collins murder, Espo?" asks the Captain to the screen.

"Not a thing, Captain. CSU have completed their analysis of what little evidence they found. The boot prints at the scene are from boots that are too common to try and track down any retailers. Each pair does have distinct patterns though so if we do find the perps and they still have the boots we'll be able to place them there."

Ryan chimes in at this point, "Tory and I have completed our search through the footage of all the cameras that could have spotted our murderers or victim. We did catch sight of two figures wearing dark hoodies 'helping' a drunk looking woman into the park not far from where the body was found. We tried to back trace them to see where they came from but lost them about two blocks from the park. Likewise we picked the same pair leaving the park at our time of death window right where the K9 unit indicated and they headed back in the direction they came from but we lost them, again, two blocks from the park. We suspect they got in a vehicle that wasn't visible to any camera and even at that time of night there was too many vehicles around to try and identify which one had our doers. We got a couple of screen grabs of them and we can estimate their heights but we never see their faces and their clothes are baggy enough that we can't be 100% on either their builds or their genders. I've emailed to you what pictures we have, Captain."

"What about why Collins was in the city? If she was running from the people that ultimately killed her why come to New York? Did she have some connection there or was it just a big city that she thought she could never be found in?" asks Castle from his seat.

"I think coming here was more than just for convenience," says Gibson from the screen. "Our victim's cell phone was found in her hotel room and on it I found the most recent calls were to a number here in the city. That number belongs to one Wendy Murphy, a hairdresser that lives and works not three blocks from Central Park. Detective Esposito and I tracked her down at her work and she revealed that she is an old high school friend of our victim. About a week before she was killed Susan Collins called Murphy to ask if she could crash at her apartment. Unfortunately for Collins, Ms Murphy lives in a small studio apartment that she shares with her long-time boyfriend so she didn't have room for her friend to stay more than a few of nights."

Esposito picks up the story at this point, "Apparently Murphy's boyfriend didn't like a third wheel in the place either so he pressured Murphy to get Collins to move out to the hotel. She called Murphy again the morning of the day she died to see arrange for them to have dinner together the next night but she never showed. Then we found her and told her what happened. On the night of the murder she was at home in bed with her boyfriend, which he confirmed. They could both still be the hooded pair in the videos but the boyfriend is well over six feet and the best estimation we can get from the videos is that the height of the tallest suspect barely reaches five-eleven so I don't think they did it."

"Check them out thoroughly anyway," instructs the Captain. "Did Collins tell her why she was in the city, why she was there under a false name or give any indication if anyone was after her?"

"No, ma'am," answers Gibson. "Murphy didn't know that Collins was using a fake ID and when she asked why she needed a place to stay in New York she told her that she just wanted to see the city but didn't want to pay for a hotel for the entire time. The friend did say that Collins did seem agitated and upset about something but wouldn't say what it was when she asked her about it."

"What about her personal effects? Given what Castle found out this morning from his CI did you give them another look like I asked to see if there was any evidence of any illicit activity that Collins might have been involved in?" asks the Captain.

Esposito's image shakes his head as he responds, "No, Beckett, nothing. CSU ran all the usual tests for drugs, explosives, gunpowder on her effects the first time and found nothing. I got them to check again and they still found nothing. If she was dirty she didn't bring any proof with her to New York." Esposito's attention shifts from the Captain to her seated husband as he says with disbelief, "And, Castle, I still can't believe you are in Atlantic City for all of five minutes and you already have a CI. I'd love to hear how you pulled that off."

Kaminski notices a very loaded look pass between the Captain and Castle at that and he admits that he was thinking the same thing when Castle briefed them earlier this morning about his unexpected and mysterious informant. He finds it remarkable that the man has been able to so quickly find out background about Happy Joey Liguria and the rival crime organisations here in the city. Not bad for a part time Detective, he admits to himself.

"Oh, you know me, Sito. I always know a guy," Castle responds and to Kaminski the casualness with which he replies just seems a little forced.

"Anyway," interjects the Captain addressing the trio on the screen and to Kaminski it seems like the Captain is deliberately shutting down the discussion. "Take another day to finish up the investigation there. Make sure there are no lose ends particularly regards Murphy and her boyfreind. If after that you find nothing more I want you three to join us here. The murders started here and I think Collins' murder only happened in New York because that's where she happened to be. If there is nothing new back there we can use you three here."

"Rodger that, Captain," responds Esposito and Ryan and Gibson nod their heads in agreement.

"Ok, guys, we'll let you go. Let me know if you find anything new otherwise I'll see you here the day after tomorrow. See you," signs off the Captain.

Again their three teammates on the screen nod in ascent at the Captain's orders. Ryan reaches for something at the base of the screen and then the image goes to black. The Captain walks over to the murder board set up on the large white board that is fixed to the wall at one end of the room, just underneath the screen they were all just using for the video chat.

Even from where he is sitting Kaminski can see the hard look his boss is giving the DMV photos of their victims that are on display on the murder board. She then turns to the seated pair of Mayhew and Pritchard and says, "I know from your reports that you searched their homes and places of work but in light of Castle's information I think Castle and I, along with you both, should take another look. I especially want your forensic people to really give both locations for each victim a really thorough going over as well."

As the trio in New York did the two ACPD Detectives nod their ascent as Mayhew responds, "Sure thing, Captain. We didn't find anything that indicated our victims might be connected to any illegal activity but it won't hurt to give it another look."

The Captain then turns to himself and the New Jersey Detective sitting next to him and says, "Kent, Kaminski, I want you two give a really hard look to our victims background. In particular, their financials and any phone, email or other communication they've engaged in and I want you to go back really far in their history. If they were dirty then there's got to be evidence of it somewhere."

"Yes, Skip," responds Kaminski and in his peripheral vision he can see Kent nodding his acceptance of their assignment.

Captain Beckett-Castle then turns to the FBI member of the team and asks, "What about the OCD, Douglas? What can they tell us about Liguria and the other organisations here?"

The blond haired agent gives a curious look towards the seated Castle as she replies, "Well, what they told me gels with what Castle's CI told him. They've suspected for some time now that Liguria uses proxies to run his activities but they've never been able to find out who they are. My contact thought that if our victims were proxies for him then it is a good chance that they were taken out by a rival gang. He also confirmed what Castle discovered, that the two gangs most likely to have a motive are the Baressi family and the Russians run by this Oyarzov guy."

"We still can't rule out Liguria himself," interrupts Mayhew from the other end of the table. "If our victims worked for him then he might have taken them out because they screwed up or were stealing from him."

The Captain regards Mayhew for a moment before responding, "It's possible for him to have killed one or two of them for disciplinary reasons but all three? If that's the case Happy Joey's got a real problem with the people he's got working for him. Almost a mutiny if that's the case but I'll concede that we can't rule anything out at this point so he is still a suspect."

"And in the vein of not ruling anything out, we also have to consider that, even if we find that all three victims worked for Happy Joey, that their deaths may have nothing to do with their illicit activities and some unknown third parties are responsible," adds Castle sitting forward in his seat as he makes his point.

"What third parties are you thinking off, Castle?" the Captain asks of her husband.

Castle shrugs his shoulders as he posits, "Well, it could be a pair of serial killers that targeted our victims because of something they all had in common that we haven't discovered yet. Or, it could still be about their criminal activities and it is a pair of vigilantes taking them out as part of their plan to keep the boardwalk clean of crime….Orr, maybe they were all sleeper agents that were taken out by the CIA and the posing of the bodies is to disguise the professional hits."

Captain Beckett-Caste shakes her head ruefully but Kaminski can the hint of a smile on her lips as she responds sarcastically, "The CIA, really, Castle? You just had to trot out that old theory of yours. I'm surprised you didn't say that they were all genetically engineered alien hybrids that had been killed by those behind a conspiracy involving the military industrial complex."

Castle smiles back at her as he counters, "Oh, you know I can't use that one anymore, Scully. But my point is that until we find some evidence linking Happy Joey, the Baressi's or the Russians to this at this point anyone could be responsible."

The Captain gives a nod at that and turns to the rest of those seated around the table, "Castle's right and as I said before, we can't rule anything out at this stage. Not until we find some more evidence so let's get to it." She focuses on the ACPD Detectives, "To that end, Detectives, let's go and get started on those searches." She then turns to the rest of her team and says, "Douglas I want you to go to the morgue and see if Lanie has found anything new. Kent, Kaminski, you have your assignments. Let's get going people."

With the Captain's orders fresh in all their ears, Mayhew and Pritchard rise from their seats, with Castle rising to join them, and they with the Captain leave the room. Douglas is not far behind them and as the pants suit waring agent leaves the room Kaminski reaches for and opens up his laptop. As the computer powers up he then reaches for one of the file folders from a pile resting in front of him and Kent.

In the file Kaminski finds the bank account information of Helen Nguyen and he uses that to access her accounts using his now powered up laptop. As his eyes scan across the information listed on the screen, searching for anomalies, he gradually becomes aware that the Detective next to him hasn't made any similar moves. Not really concerned as Kaminski knows everyone has their own way of working he continues his scanning but apparently Kent has other ideas because he clears his throat before speaking and interrupting his concentration.

"Uh, Kaminski, can I ask you something?" Kent asks him tentatively.

Not wanting to delay the tedious work of searching through these records because he wants to get it over and done with as soon as possible, Kaminski doesn't shift his gaze from the screen but does respond out of the corner of his mouth, "Sure, Kent, but make it quick because the sooner we get this done the sooner we can get out of here and into the field."

"Sure, I'll make it quick….," Kent pauses and takes a deep breath and that actually makes Kaminski break his scrutiny of Nguyen's bank records to look at the man.

In the short time he's known Kent he's always been confident and sure of himself so him acting so nervous has peaked Kaminski's interest. Now as he looks at the New Jersey Detective he sees a man warring with himself about something. Kaminski can only surmise that it is whatever Kent wants to ask him that has him so at odds with himself. Again because he doesn't want to be held up he decides to give the man a nudge.

"Come on, man. Out with it."

"Uh…sure…Um, you know that just before I joined the taskforce I was involved in a shooting and my partner at the time, Jake Maloney, was killed?" Kent asks seeking confirmation that Kaminski remembers the story.

Kaminski does remember the story, Kent told him and the rest of the team one night after too many drinks at The Old Haunt, so he nods as he responds sympathetically, "Yeah, I remember. You came across some gun runners and you had to take them out but not before they killed your partner."

"Yeah, that's right….Well, you see, while I shot the guys that killed Jake the investigation into who was behind the smuggling operation has been closed. I owe it to Jake to find those responsible not just the hired thugs that pulled the trigger," Kent tells him with increasing confidence and earnestness.

"Sure, I get that. He was you partner," agrees Kaminski.

"The thing is that I can't do it on my own. I need help. A buddy in the NJSP got me the case file and I was wondering if you could go over it with me? Give it a fresh set of eyes. Hell, I'll admit I'm probably too close to this so maybe you'll see something I've missed," Kent appeals to him.

Kaminski pauses for a long moment as he considers Kent's request. He sympathises, he truly does but personal vendettas never end well and he doesn't want to get caught in the middle of one. He wants to help the man and is inclined to say yes but he also doesn't want to screw himself out of his place in the taskforce. Therefore he asks deliberately, "Does the Captain know about your, uh, continued interest in the case?"

Kent grimaces with discomfort at the question as he replies, "Yeah, she knows."

Seeing that he's going to have to drag it out of the man, Kaminski presses, "And she's OK with it?"

Kent releases a sigh which Kaminski hopes means that he is going to completely honest with him, "She said that she wouldn't stop me investigating as long as it didn't interfere with my work on the taskforce. She even said that if I do find anything worth actioning that I can bring it to her."

Kaminski can immediately see the flaw in what Kent just told him, "And you asking me this now, while we are in the middle of investigating these cases, isn't your partner's case interfering with not just your work with the taskforce, but mine as well?"

Kent grimaces again and responds, "Yeah I know, but I need to know if you'll help me now. Perhaps when we are off duty tonight we can grab a drink and I can show you the file. Strictly on our own time. I just needed to ask you now while I have the chance."

Kaminski gives Kent a long look and he can see from the man's face that he is being straight with him both about his motivation for asking now and about how much this case means to him. He then thinks about what he would do if the situations were reversed and he knows that he would do the same as Kent. Hell, he probably wouldn't even worry about whether he was investigating on taskforce time or not, he'd probably just do it and damn what anyone, even the Captain, thinks.

"OK, man, I'll help you. Us state cops have got to stick together after all. So, if nothing comes up on these cases, let's grab a beer at that bar I saw half way between here and the hotel and you can show me what you've got," agrees Kaminski.

Kent gives him a look of gratitude as he says, "Thanks Kaminski. I owe you for this."

Kaminski waves away his thanks, "Ah, it's nothing. I've got to honour the memory of a fallen brother officer and that's that. Not to mention that we're both part of the same team now which means I'm your partner just like you are mine so we have to help each other just like you are doing for Jake. Now enough of this or the Captain will come back and take one look at us and figure out what we're up too. I swear that woman has got eyes in the back of her head just like my old Gunny at Pendleton."

Kent nods and picks up another of the files from the pile in front of him but before he opens it he pauses and says sincerely, "Thanks, John, and if Jake could I know he'd thank you to."

* * *

 _Surf Stadium a.k.a. "The Sandcastle" , Atlantic City– 1 am that evening_

Enrico Varga plods down the dusty concourse of Surf Stadium, otherwise known as The Sandcastle, the beam from his heavy flashlight playing over the dirty grey concrete. The one time home of the defunct Atlantic City Surf baseball team, The Sandcastle, was derelict for quite a while until a few years ago when it was refurbished to host a concert and a junior baseball tournament.

Now its only claim to fame is as the home to the Atlantic Cape Community College Buccaneers baseball team. Because they are a Community College team funds are tight so while basic maintenance of the stadium is done it is nothing like what it would be if it was the home of a major league baseball team.

That skimping extends to security as well as the five foot eight and overweight Enrico is the only one employed by the security firm contracted by the college to patrol their grounds after hours. Therefore as part of his night shift, besides the regular college buildings, Enrico has to do at least one, sometimes, two, foot patrols of The Sandcastle.

As he rounds a corner he stops dead in his tracks as the beam of his flashlight falls directly on the battered and bloody face of a man tied to a concrete support column right in front of him. With wide eyes and rapidly increasing heavy breathing that, this time, has nothing to do with the beer gut hanging over his belt, he looks with horror at the mess that was a man in front of him.

As he digs into the pocket of his khaki trousers for his cell phone to call the cops he thinks to himself, "I don't get paid enough for this shit."

* * *

 _A/N: So another murder for our team to solve. Let's hope they can stop anyone else from meeting a similar fate._

 _If anyone is wondering the timing of this story is early October 2015 and in this universe the new season of The X-Files aired in September of 2015 which is how Castle and Beckett are able to make their references._

 _As always thank you to everyone that is reading, reviewing, following or making this their favourite._


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I do not own Castle in any way._

* * *

 _"_ _The Sandcastle", Atlantic City – 2am_

Kate ducks under the crime scene tape that Castle is holding up for her, smiling at him and his chivalrousness as she does so. Once on the other side she holds a step while he likewise ducks underneath the tape to join her. Now with him beside her they walk, unconsciously in step, to the crime scene.

She'd been in a particularly deep sleep when the shrill ring of her cell phone her and Castle half an hour ago as they slept, him spooning her in the back, in their hotel room. They were both tired after spending the day with Detectives Mayhew and Pritchard searching for anything at their victims homes and places of work that might connect them to illegal activity. Upon learning that another murder had taken place with the same MO as the previous ones the last vestiges of her deep sleep had instantly vanished.

As they stride side by side down the dusty concourse of the baseball stadium she can't help but feel a little depressed that another murder has occurred while her team is on the case. She feels responsible. Oh, intellectually she knows that the taskforce has only been investigating these murders for a relatively short time so she really doesn't have a reason the feel this way but she can't help that she does.

With the unique connection they have Castle can obviously pick up on her disquiet as she feels his hand grip her leather gloved one and give it a quick squeeze of reassurance as he says, quietly, "It's not your fault, Kate."

Kate returns the squeeze and glances at him in gratitude as she responds, "I know, Castle, but there's still a part of me that thinks if we'd been quicker then we would have stopped this from happening."

Castle now gives her a look conveying his understanding as he replies, "We've been in Atlantic City for barely more than a day. Short of the murderers walking into ACPD headquarters and confessing there's no way anyone could have stopped this in the time we've been here. I know you feel responsible now that we are on the case but you can't beat yourself up about it. There's nothing anyone could have done. This murder was probably planned before we even got here. All you, me and the rest of the team can do is focus on bring these killers to justice so that they pay for what they have done. You're not alone, Kate. I'm right here with you and so is the rest of the team and we are going to do our damnedest to track these murderers down right along with you."

Kate gives Castle a grateful smile at his little pep talk and squeezes his hand again, "Thanks, Rick. You always know the right thing to say to get me out of my own head."

"Yeah, well, as pretty a head that it is you just need reminding from time to time that you aren't really Jesse Chambers, the female Flash, and able to solve murders just as quick. You're human Kate, just like the rest of us and just like these killers are…unless they are the alien-human hybrids killing members of the military industrial complex," finishes Castle with his usual childlike earnestness.

Kate gives a small laugh and shakes her head at her husband's ridiculousness. She knows what he is doing. His often used trick of using humour to deflate a tense situation, make people relax or, as in this case, to get her to feel better about herself.

At that moment they round a corner and are greeted with sight of the reason why they were called here in the very early hours of the morning. There, surrounded by several bright portable lights on tripods, is their latest victim, bound with wire, just like the others, to a concrete column supporting the seats of the stadium above them. Detectives Mayhew and Pritchard are standing watching the numerous ACPD crime scene techs, the Atlantic City ME and Laine go about their grisly but necessary work around the body. A body that they observe to be in a white male with grey hair that looked to be in his mid-fifties.

Beckett's observation of the scene is interrupted by the scrape of several footsteps behind her and Castle and she turns to see Kaminski, Douglas and Kent arriving just behind them. With her team all here Kate makes her way over to where the two ACPD Detectives are standing.

"Looks to be the same guys as did for the other three, Captain," says Pritchard as she and her team approaches.

Mayhew nods in agreement with his partner as he says, "Yep, he looks like he took the same beating that the others did before they strung him up here and cut his throat."

"Any ID on the vic?" Kate asks as she stops next to the Detectives.

It is Laine that answers her question from her spot next to the body where she is assisting the local ME, a middle aged African American man with balding, short cropped hair and wearing large back rimmed glasses. She holds up a sealed clear plastic evidence bag as she says, "The victim still had his wallet in his pants. According to the drivers licence he was Simon Harris, aged fifty-three with a home address in Egg Harbour City."

"Any indication that he had a job here in Atlantic City with a tourism connection?" asks Castle from where he is standing at her side.

"No need to ask, we recognise him," says Mayhew before Lanie can say anything. "He owned a food truck that worked the carparks up and down the boardwalk. Hell, he'd even park in front of headquarters sometimes. He made the best burgers around."

"Any connection between him and Liguria or the Valhalla?" asks Douglas over her shoulder from where she is standing a couple of paces closer to the body trying to get a closer look.

"He worked as a junior chef at the Valhalla years ago before branching out for himself and starting the food truck business. At the time people wondered how he got the cash to start up his own business like that. I guess now we know where he got the money," answers Pritchard.

"A food truck would be a great cover to distribute drugs," supposes Kaminski who has joined Douglas in trying to get a better look at the body.

"Any sign of the truck in the vicinity?" Kate asks the local Detectives.

"Not here," answers Mayhew. "It could be at his home. I've got a BOLO out on it anyway."

"Any cameras or witnesses at all?" Castle asks.

Prichard shakes his head and indicate to the overweight Latino man in a rent-a-cop uniform standing over to one side with an ACDP uniformed officer, "Nah, no cameras here and the only one we've been able to find that saw anything so far was the security guard that found the body. We've got unis doing a canvas of the places nearby so it's early days yet. They may come up with someone that saw something but at this time of night, around here, I'm not holding my breath on that one."

Kate nods thoughtfully as she considers their next move. As she thinks Kent chimes in from where he is, on his haunches, near the body, looking closely at something one of the crime techs is taking a photo of, "Got a bloody boot print here. Looks similar to the boot prints found back at the New York crime scene."

This time she nods in acceptance of the information as she says to the crouching Detective, "Kent, get a copy of that photo and take Douglas and head back to ACPD. First check the print against the ones from the Collins murder then I want you both to start researching our vic's life. Go into everything, phone, financials, social media, everything. If he was fined for an overdue library book then I want to know about it. Pay particular attention to his time as a chef at the Valhalla and how he got the money to start his own business."

Kate then turns to the Connecticut member of the team, "Kaminski, stay with Detectives Mayhew and Pritchard to assist them. When they're done here go with the body and report back with the findings of Lanie and the local ME once they've examined it."

"Yes, skip," responds Kaminski with a short nod in acceptance of her order.

She then says to everyone, "Castle and I will head to the vic's home address and see what we can find." She turns to Mayhew, "Detective, can you get some of your techs to meet us there. If the food truck is there I want them to go over it with a fine tooth comb. If Kaminski's theory is right then there should be some evidence in it."

Mayhew gives her a slightly apologetic look as he responds, "It might be a while before we can get some techs out there, Captain. The ones we have working this scene are the only ones on duty this early in the morning. With all the overtime our techs have been working because of these cases city hall announced that for the rest of the week only one crew of techs could be on duty for the graveyard shift. Another crew will come on duty a 6am so you can wait for them or you can wait until these guys are finished here and they can join you."

"Hmm, the attitude of city hall seems at odds with the mayor's stated wish for these crimes to be solved quickly," says Castle as an aside.

Not wanting to waste any time Kate calls over to Kent, who hasn't left yet, and says, "Kent, call the local NJSP troop and see if they have some crime scene techs they can send us."

"Will do, Captain," responds Kent and he fishes out his cell phone from his inside jacket pocket.

"We'll still head out there anyway and make a start. Come on, Castle," Kate says to her husband and they both start walking out of the stadium, retracing the way they came in.

"You know that there might not be anything to find," cautions Castle as they duck under the crime scene tape together. "We haven't found anything yet from our additional searches of the other three victim's homes or work. Admittedly, we are waiting for the lab to process the new samples the techs took from each place but on the surface there was nothing to indicate a connection to any illicit activity for any of them."

Due to her husband's uncharacteristic caution Kate looks at Castle curiously, as they approach her blue Dodge Charger, as she responds, "You could be right, but I find it hard to believe that if Paulie Siani is right about our victims that we won't find something eventually. Or don't you trust your informant?" she asks him pointedly.

She had given Castle the expected amount of grief as both his Captain and his wife after he had returned with her barely warm coffee the previous morning and told her of his encounter with the mobster Paulie Siani. Not too much though as she'd believed him when he told her that it had been totally unexpected by him. While she'd agreed with him to keep his connection with Siani and, more importantly, Dino Scarpella, from the rest of the team she had questioned how much of the mobster's information they could believe.

Castle had assured her that, in his opinion, Siani was telling him the truth, or as much as a criminal like him could tell the truth. He'd added that he couldn't see any reason for the information to be false. Castle had said that as a result of Siani's information they were now compelled to look at the other organised crime organisations in the city, including, possibly, Siani's operation. Siani would hardly do that if he had something to do with it, he'd reasoned.

Kate had countered that the mobster had said himself that it was unlikely they would find out anything about his operation so it wouldn't matter if they were looking so he could still be lying to make things difficult for some competitors. Castle had accepted her argument and the check they did with Detective Mayhew later only reinforced the possibility as the Atlantic City Detective had never heard of Paulie Siani. Then again Mayhew had also confirmed Siani's story as knew all about the Russian Oyarzov and his gang and of Sylvie Baressi at the Ace of Diamonds and the illegal activities they are all suspected of.

She was pleased that Castle shared her caution about Siani which is why she'd agreed to keep the identity of his informant 'confidential'. Though given that their new victim seems to be connected to Happy Joey, just like the previous ones, it could be that the mobster is right and this Harris is another of Liguria's proxies that has been taken out by a rival gang.

As they now stand at their respective doors of her car, her the driver side, him the passenger side, Castle looks thoughtfully at her across the roof of the car, as he says, "I don't trust him but at this point I see no reason to discount his information. Something tells me that his story matches and, you're right, we'll find evidence of it eventually. All we have to do is find it. Maybe with this murder we will."

* * *

 _Simon Harris' Home – Egg Harbour City – an hour later._

Castle recoils in disgust at the congealed mass of fat, grease and old bits of food that fills the tray that his blue gloved hand just pulled out from underneath the oven in Simon Harris' ' _Simon Says Burgers!'_ truck and he says to the others with him, "Ughh, I hope none of you guys ate the victim's food because from the state of his equipment you'd have been lucky not to get food poisoning."

When he and Kate had arrived at Simon Harris' small, single level, three bed room white wooden frame house they had found his food truck, a converted Winnebago, parked out the front. They had barely got out of their car when four crime scene techs from the New Jersey State Police pulled up behind them in their van.

Deciding to divide and conquer Kate had taken two of the techs and gone to search the house while Castle and the remaining two were left to go over the food truck. They haven't been at it long but already, from the state of the kitchen in the truck, he has developed a very unfavourable impression of their victim's culinary skills and standards of hygiene. Also, given Detective Mayhew's professed admiration for the deceased chef's food Castle also has to wonder at the sensitivity of the Atlantic City Detective's palate and the cast iron nature of his stomach.

From the dirty work tops, to the meat and vegetables in the refrigerator that look like they are barely a day away from being considered expired and now this tray it shows to him proof of Harris' lack of attention to proper professional food preparation and kitchen upkeep. From that he can only make the assumption that his food can't have been as great as Mayhew had mentioned. He looks again at the extremely unpleasant mass in the tray in front of him and while it might pass for the larval form of some disgusting alien hybrid he can't see anything in it that points to any illegal activity besides not following the proper code for a professional kitchen. Lover of good food and more than passable cook that he is the idea that Harris served food to paying customers while working in such unsanitary conditions offends him. If the man wasn't dead he'd be giving him a piece of his mind and reporting him to the local health inspector.

Leaving the tray where it is for the unenviable task of one of the techs to bag the slimy contents he sits back on his haunches and looks about the interior of the vehicle that is lit by its own lights and a portable one that the techs have set up on one of the benches. The two NJSP techs are at the other end of the truck searching through the cupboards above and below the benches, methodically bagging and swabbing everything as they go. Despite the caution he expressed to Kate before they headed here there is something in his gut that is telling him that they will find something here that will confirm what Paulie told him. That their victim is running some sort of criminal enterprise for Happy Joey Liguria. Probably distributing drugs as Kaminski supposed because from the state of this place Castle can't see how the man made a profit from his cooking.

Rising to stand upright Castle makes his way to the other end of the truck from where the techs are working, towards the driver's seat at the front. Before he gets to the driving controls of the truck he stops at a tall, stainless steel refrigerator that is situated just behind the driver's seat. It is one of two in the truck, its twin at the other end and its contents already accounted for and bagged by the techs.

With his blue gloved hand he pulls on the handle of the door of the refrigerator and opens it. Instantly his nose is hit with the smell of food just this side of going bad as he looks at the items crammed into the none too clean interior of the appliance. As he pokes a tentative finger at some close to brown lettuce he thinks that, given the evidence of Harris' lack of care, it is surprising that he has the truck hooked up to his house's electricity so that the fridges are working at all.

Deciding to start his search at the bottom shelf of the fridge he sees there two large metal pots with their tops sealed with plastic food wrap. Curious but wary of what he might find he crouches down, pulls out one of the heavy pots and looks through the clear plastic film at the pot's contents.

Seeing that it is filled with a thick, red and chunky liquid Castle thinks he knows what this is so decides to take a further risk and peels back on edge of the plastic wrap and takes a quick smell. One whiff of the contents of the pot confirms his suspicions that he is holding a pot of pre-cooked chili. He glances up at the upside-down menu board that is on the inside of the large, closed door in the side of the truck that, when open, Harris serves his customers through. On it he sees that there are two 'Chili' items on the menu. One 'regular' and one 'special'.

At that moment the beautiful, long, brown haired head of his wife pokes its way through the open door in side of the truck and spying him crouching with the large pot in his hands asks, "How's it going in here, Castle?"

Distracted by the always appealing sight of Kate his concentration slips for a moment and so does the pot in his hands. He just manages to catch it in time, however, before it can crash to the floor and deposit the gluttonous liquid all over the floor and his shoes. He looks down as he makes sure he's got a firm grip on the pot again and the chili inside sloshes around. As it does so something catches his eye.

He carefully puts the pot down on the floor and peels the plastic wrap more fully off the top. Not having answered her and seeing that something has grabbed his attention he hears Kate step into the truck and ask, "What have you found, Castle?"

Carefully delving a gloved hand into the chili he feels for what his eyes spotted for a moment amongst the meat, beans and peppers that make up the stew and he refrains from answering her just yet. Then his questing fingers find what he is looking for and he pulls the item from the pot.

Holding up a small zip sealed plastic baggie with clear crystals in it that is still dripping with the red chili he says to Kate as she stands over him looking down at him in appreciation, "I think I just found what our victim meant by his 'special' chili but more importantly I've found what we were looking for and why Simon Harris was killed."

* * *

 _A/N: Thank you all for sticking with this story. Work is a bit busy at the moment so don't be surprised if there is a little delay until the next chapter. I'll try to keep it to only an extra couple of days if at all._


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: Castle is the property of ABC and I do not own it. I just like having some fun with it._

* * *

 _Atlantic City Police Department Headquarters – Noon_

Douglas sits at the conference room table with the rest of the taskforce and the two ACPD Detectives as they have lunch and informally go over what they have on the case so far. With her plastic fork she skewers a piece of chicken from amongst the green salad leaves in the clear plastic container that holds her chicken salad.

It has been a long day already for the taskforce what with being called out to the new crime scene in the very early hours of the morning and this lunch, which is also breakfast for some, is the first time they all have had a chance to just stop for a moment. The Captain and Castle have only just returned from their productive search of Simon Harris' home. The ACPD Detectives, Mayhew and Pritchard have likewise just returned from conducting and supervising the canvas in the area surrounding 'The Sandcastle'. While Kaminski had only joined her and Kent here at their temporary base in the ACPD HQ conference room about an hour ago after getting the preliminary results of the examination of Harris' body by Dr Parish and the AC Medical Examiner.

As she pops the white meat into her mouth she looks up as Captain Beckett-Castle speaks from around the mouthful of Moo Shu pork she just shovelled into her mouth with a pair of chopsticks, "So, Detectives, find anything during the canvas?"

Detective Mayhew puts down the burrito that he just took a large bite from and, after a few chews, swallows his mouthful before answering, "We got mostly nothing except for one guy who was out walking his dog."

"Out walking his dog at that time of night?" asks an incredulous and curious Castle seated next to the Captain as he uses his chopsticks to stir the sweet and sour chicken in the square takeout container he is holding.

Mayhew nods his head while also shrugging his shoulders and he leans forward in his seat to get a better look of the open notebook on the conference room table in front of him before he responds, "Yeah, a Donald Langshaw, sixty-eight years old, lives in Windsor Road, not far from the stadium. Apparently he doesn't sleep well at night a lot of the time so when he can't he takes their Scottish terrier, Millie, for a walk. When he got to The Sandcastle it was around 12:30am by his reckoning and he was turning back to go home. That's when he saw a dark coloured SUV leave the parking lot of the stadium and drive past him down North Albany Ave, south, towards the beach. He noticed it because there wasn't much traffic around at the time and he thought it odd that someone would be at the stadium at that time of the morning. He didn't see who was in it but did think that it was possible that there were two people sitting in the front seats."

Detective Pritchard speaks up, after he swallows the mouthful of hamburger he is chewing, "I've got our people going through traffic cams along North Albany Ave looking for a dark SUV. With the number of cameras on that road and at that time of night we should be able to spot them and track them."

Douglas watches as the Captain nods thoughtfully at the information as she responds, "That could just be the break we were looking for. If we can identify these guy's vehicle let alone get a picture of either of them it will go a long way to busting this case open for us."

Their boss pauses as she scoops another chopstick full of Chinese food into her mouth and after chewing a swallowing it she turns her head to the burger eating Kaminski that is sitting on the other side of her and asks, "At the risk of spoiling everyone's lunch, what did Laine and the local ME have to say?"

Kaminski wipes a smear of ketchup from his lips with the back of his hand before replying, "Everything matches the previous three murders. Same severe beating before being strung up to that support column and having his throat cut. From the ligature marks on the victim's wrists it looks like he was tied up while he was beaten. The docs didn't find any foreign prints or DNA on the body but did find some fibres on the victim's clothes and in their hair that they are getting analysed. On first look Dr Parish though that they looked like carpet fibres of the type used in a car."

"Or possibly an SUV," chimes in Castle from the other side of the Captain.

Again the Captain nods as she says, "Something else that can help us identify what vehicle these guys are using. It also means that we'll be able to link them to Harris' murder at least if we find the SUV and tie them to it. We just better hope they don't get rid of it," she then looks at Douglas and Kent who are seated together and across from her and asks, "What about the research you two have done into the vic? Find anything relevant yet?"

Douglas glances at Kent, beside her and sees that he has just taken a big forkful of the chicken Caesar salad he is eating into his mouth so she decides to start, "I've been through Harris' recent calls and social media posts, Instagram, Vine, Facebook, Twitter, that kind of thing. All his online stuff is focused towards promoting his food truck business. He keeps referencing some movie that came out a couple of years ago where the guy's truck became famous thanks to a social media campaign and he thought he could do something similar as well."

"Yeah, I remember that movie and I'll tell you one thing, as a chef our victim has more in common with Jon Favreau as a guy playing at being a chef rather than actually being a competent one," adds Castle from across the table.

Choosing to ignore Castle's irrelevant little aside Douglas presses on, "The list of calls on his registered cell show no anomalies but," Douglas nod her head towards some sealed bags of evidence on a nearby table that the Captain and Castle brought back from the Harris' home and food truck. "I'll go through the calls on the other cell phone you found at the vic's home. Maybe that will show us who he was working for, where he got the drugs you found or who he was selling them to."

"It's probably a burner but see what you can find," says the Captain.

Kent, having now swallowed his food enters the conversation, "All the transactions I've found in his financials seem to be linked his business. There are no large cash deposits or withdrawals to or from suspicious sources that could be linked to drugs. Any money he was making from that must be strictly cash, we just have to find it where he stashes it. You didn't find any at the house or in his truck, Captain?'

The Captain shakes her long chestnut coloured hair negatively, "No, we didn't find any large amounts of cash only the drugs that Castle found in the guy's chili." The Captain then pauses for a moment then looks over at the table where the evidence. She then puts down her takeout food container, rises from her seat and goes over to the table with a curious look on her face.

As the Captain starts sorting through the bags of evidence Castle asks from his seat, "What is it, Beckett?"

"Talking now about somewhere he might have stashed some cash, I remember seeing something on a set of keys that we found at his house…," she says over her shoulder as she searches through the sealed bags. "Ah! Here it is!" the Captain exclaims as he holds up an evidence bag and brings it over to the table.

In it Douglas can see a set of keys on a key ring advertising the name of his food truck on a small chrome tag. The Captain points to a pair of small keys amongst the rest of the keys on the ring and says, "I recognise these as a post box keys but not from one at an official post office. A few years ago Castle and I worked a case where our suspect used a private PO Box. The key our suspect used then looked a lot like these." The Captain turns to Mayhew and asks, "Detective, are there any private post box businesses in the city?"

A thoughtful look crossed Mayhew's face as he thinks about his answer, "There are still a couple I think. I'll confirm it and get you their addresses."

Castle looks up at the Captain, who is standing next to him still holding the bag of keys, "You think that Harris could have stored the money he is getting paid to distribute the drugs in one box and is using the other as a dead drop to exchange what he gets for selling them for more product?"

The Captain looks down at him and nods, "Yes, Castle, I do."

"But places like that are sure to have security, cameras, employees that could see them, Harris and Happy Joey or whoever he was working for, aren't going to be swapping drugs and money where they could be recorded or seen," protests Kent from beside her.

Castle shakes his head as he responds, "Not necessarily. At the place Beckett mentioned back in New York they didn't have a working camera and the guy behind the counter had no interest in remembering the faces of those that use the boxes. Just like a no tell motel. I'm willing to bet that any place that Harris and his supplier are using is likely to be just the same."

"What about the drugs that you found?" Douglas now asks after taking a sip of her banana and kale smoothie. "Anything about them that might help us track down their manufacturer or supplier, if Harris was only selling them and he wasn't making them himself?"

"Besides obviously being what Walter White, minus the blue colour, used to produce we've sent the bags of methamphetamine we found to your compatriots at the DEA for them to analyse. Perhaps they can tell us the source because while he was some sort of cook I don't think Harris was that kind of cook. No, I think Kaminski was right at the crime scene. The food truck was a good cover for him to sell the meth from so we'll have to wait to see if the DEA have seen the type of meth he was pushing before and so maybe that can tell us where it came from," responds Castle.

Captain Beckett-Castle again turns to the ACPD Detectives seated at one end of the table as she asks, "Working on the theory that it was a competitor to the drug business that killed Harris who of the local players also sell drugs and, specifically, meth? Do any of the two groups that Castle's CI pointed us to have a hand in selling drugs like meth?"

"Yeah, we've suspected for a while that the Russians run by Oyarzov that your CI mentioned are big meth pushers but haven't been able to pin anything on them. Us and the DEA have taken down some dealers and the odd shipment from time to time and on the surface we could link them to Oyarzov's gang but we could never get enough evidence that would hold up in court or shut them down," responds Pritchard.

The Captain wanders over to a large street map of the city and surrounding area and taps on an area on the other side of Lakes Bay as she asks, "They work out of a warehouse in an industrial park in Pleasantville, don't they?"

"That's right, Captain. Our own informants have told us that they run shipments of drugs through it from time to time but whenever we are able to get a warrant to raid it there's never anything there. Otherwise when not at the warehouse they can be found at the Golden Horseshoe Bar about a block away. It's where they hang out. Sometimes see their girls from there," responds Mayhew.

Douglas watches and Castle rises from his seat and joins the Captain at the map as he asks, "Are you thinking we need more information on these guys, Beckett?"

The Captain turns to her husband and nods emphatically, "Yes, I do." She looks again at Mayhew and asks, "Can you give us everything you have on Oyarzov and his gang, Detective?"

Mayhew nods in response but then holds up a cautioning hand as he asks, "But what about Happy Joey. If Harris worked for him he could have had him killed for some reason. We can't discount him as a suspect."

While Douglas can understand the desire of the Atlantic City Detectives to put away such an apparent criminal like Liguria she can't help but feel like they are just searching for any reason, no matter how tenuous, to make Liguria responsible for these murders. While it is possible he is involved there is something telling her that he is not the one behind these killings.

The Captain must share her thoughts as she responds in a mildly exasperated tone, "Detective Mayhew, while we haven't ruled Liguria out as a suspect at this point we are going to work the theory that, if Harris was working as a proxy for him to sell drugs, then he is the victim. If that is the case then the most likely suspects are his main competitors and that looks to be these Russians. But don't worry, if we do find any indication that he is responsible we will pursue him like any other suspect. At the very least, if we do prove that he is behind Harris and the drugs then you'll be able to take him down for that."

The Captain then turns her hazel eyes to Douglas and asks, "Douglas, chase up your contacts in the bureau's Organised Crime Division again. I want everything they have on these Russians."

"Yes, Captain. Sorry about not getting that information to you sooner," replies Douglas as she mentally kicks herself for not following up with that call she made to the head of the OCD in Washington. The local field office had referred her to him when she'd made her initial enquiry and she hasn't heard anything back yet. She was going to follow up but that had been lost in her list of priorities what with this new murder adding to their work.

The Captain gives her a thoughtful look, almost as if she is reading her mind as she says, "Don't sweat it, Douglas. There's been a lot to distract us with this new case but we need that information more than ever now."

"What should we do in the meantime, Beckett?" asks Castle, standing next to the Captain.

The Captain turns and looks Castle in the eye as she responds, "In the meantime, let's see what we can find out about these Russians for ourselves."

* * *

 _7:30pm - The Golden Horseshoe Bar – Pleasantville, NJ_

A block down and across the street from the bar, from the passenger seat of Kate's Charger, Castle watches through a pair binoculars as Kaminski and Kent walk towards the entrance of the bar. Their two teammates are both dressed in the dirty and worn clothes of their covers as ordinary working guys looking for cold drink at the end of a long working day.

The information supplied by Detectives Mayhew and Pritchard and the ACPD told them that at this time of day they were sure to find Oyarzov and his gang here at this seedy looking bar. The fact that several scantily clad young women have been coming and going during the short time they have been watching indicates both that Oyarzov and his men are present and that they run at least part of their prostitution ring from the place.

Unfortunately, just like with their warehouse base, the few raids the ACPD had managed to carry out on the bar had failed to find any evidence of illegal activity taking place. So Kate decided that they would just send two of the team, Kent and Kaminski, in undercover to check things out and see if they could, passively, gather any more intelligence. That said however, if the opportunity presented itself for them to play a more active role, as a couple of guys looking to pay for some company or to score some meth, then they are to take it, as long as it's safe. Then, with proof of illegal activity they along with, Douglas, Mayhew, Pritchard and the handful of ACPD uniforms waiting around the corner, would raid the place and arrest them. With the gang in custody they could sweat them for information while having probable cause to search the warehouse and their homes for evidence to link them to the four murders.

The Russians have become very prominent suspects not only because of their rivalry with Happy Joey Liguria over the meth trade but because of what was found on the traffic cam footage by members of the ACPD. The SUV that their dog walking witness saw leaving their latest crime scene was identified as a current model, black, Mercedes G-wagon. Just like the one that Castle can see currently parked in front of the bar. The SUV on the traffic cams had no plates and they couldn't see those inside but it was a perfect match otherwise to the SUV that is registered to one of Oyarzov's top lieutenants.

As the pair of state police detectives approach the front door of the bar Castle says to his wife, seated in the driver's seat next to him, "I still think we should be the ones to go in. It's been ages since we did any undercover work together and I'd bet Katya and her rich American sugar daddy would go down a treat with these guys."

"A bit too much of a treat I'm betting. You seem to forget that the last time I played Katya for a bunch of Russian mobsters it was to save you from getting killed. One look at you and your bank roll and the only thing those guys would be thinking about would be of the best ways to rob you of it followed by your life. Then rather than learning anything useful from them I'd be spending my time saving you from them," responds Kate pointedly.

"You're probably right," Castle shrugs but he's still not completely convinced. "But we could have still played it subtle. Just been a working class couple on a date and gathered intel like Kent and Kaminski rather than being stuck in the car watching."

 _"_ _We're going in,"_ interrupts the voice of Kent from the radio receiver resting in the centre console of the car.

Both Kent and Kaminski are wearing wires supplied by the ACPD just as they supplied the surveillance van that Douglas, Mayhew and Pritchard are in, around the corner, recording what the wires pick up and waiting to move at the first sound of trouble.

As Kent pulls open the door of the bar and steps inside, with Kaminski close behind him, Castle lowers his binoculars and looks at Kate in time to see her give him her 'are you serious' look, "Castle, you are many things but subtle is not one of them. Plus, as you keep reminding me, you are somewhat famous and I as your wife and inspiration share some of your fame. As a result there's a chance we could be recognised if we go in there. Short of spending the time getting a thorough make-up job to disguise our features, sending Kent and Kaminski in is the next best option. Besides I want to take the opportunity to watch Kent and Kaminski working together."

"Ah, especially as they seem to have partnered up to work on Kent's little side project together," Castle says knowingly.

Kate shoots him her own knowing look, "Kent thinks he's keeping everything on the down low but my own…uh….particular experience with running an obsessive and personal investigation means that I know what to look for. That and it didn't hurt that Detective Pritchard mentioned in passing seeing them conspiring over that file in that bar the other night thinking that they were working on our cases. I know differently, of course."

"Are you going to tell them to stop?" he asks her.

Kate pauses for a moment and listens to the sounds of men they are discussing as they make causal chit-chat over the radio as they stay in character. Coming back to the conversation she responds, "Not yet. If what they are doing interferes with our cases then I'll lower the boom on them but if they keep it to their personal time I'll leave them alone."

"At least Kent has asked for help and isn't going all lone wolf on us. I seem to remember when you tried that it tended not to end well," Castle says with a serious tone well remembering how he felt those times when Kate went off by herself and got herself in danger in pursuit of justice for her mother. Almost getting thrown off that roof by Cedric Marks and confronting Vulcan Simmonds alone only to be framed for his murder are just two examples behind his dark memories and to this day they make him shudder at how close he's come to loosing Kate so many times.

Kate reaches over and gives his hand a squeeze as she responds carefully, "I know. I learned my lessons the hard way and I've promised never to do anything like that again without you. 'Partners in crime and life' remember."

Any further discussion is held in check as a bored sounding female voice with an Eastern European accent is heard over the radio asking, " _What'll it be guys?"_

 _"_ _Two beers, whatever's on tap,"_ answers Kaminski's voice.

There is a pause and Castle can imagine the faceless barmaid has left their two colleagues to fill their order. Then over the radio comes Kent's voice in a hushed tone as he whispers into his wire, " _Lead target in sight with five associates. They're seated around a large table near the back of the bar, right near the rear exit._ "

" _Just the right place so they can bolt out the back if they have to,"_ says the hushed voice of Kaminski in agreement.

Next they hear the barmaid returns with Kent and Kaminski's drinks and the pair pay the woman. Then Kaminski and Kent start talking about a basketball game that was played the night before so that anyone who happens to be listening or passing by will think they are their covers, a couple of working stiffs having a cold one after a long day.

This continues for several minutes and it is as the two undercover Detectives are engaging in an argument over whether a particular foul should have been called or not that Castle spots another black SUV, this one a Range Rover, pull up in front of the bar. From it two large men in dark clothes, heavily tattooed and with almost shaved heads get out of the front while from the back three thin, pale, women dressed in a variety of revealing outfits exit the rear of the vehicle.

With that Kate picks up the radio, depresses the call button and says, "Be aware guys, two more associates and some working girls just arrived and will be with you soon."

There are dual coughs over the line as Kent and Kaminski indicate they heard their Captain in the earwigs pressed deep into their ears.

"I wish we had cameras to put on them so we could see what is going on in there," laments Kate as he puts the radio back in the centre console.

"We're probably not missing much," shrugs Castle. "These guys are probably just enjoying a drink like Kent and Kaminski are. I doubt they'll conduct their illicit business in the middle of the bar for all the world to see."

Almost as soon as the words are out of Castle's mouth Kaminski's voice his heard whispering urgently down the radio, " _We may have a situation here."_

There is another pause and Kate picks up her radio and Castle knows she is going to ask what is going on but before she can the equally urgently whispering voice of Kent comes from it, " _Shit, looks like the three girls that just arrived really did something to piss off our target. He's almost screaming at them in Russian and they're being held very roughly by his men."_

With Kent finished Castle can even hear a loud voice in the background coming over the man's wire. Kate then depresses the call button and says, "Mayhew, have your people ready to go in on the signal if my guys give it."

" _Rodger that, Captain,"_ responds the ACPD Detective over the radio.

"Kent, Kaminski, it's your call. If there is the slightest hint that one of those girls is in danger say the breach word and we're in," says Kate to her two undercover people inside.

" _Ah, I wish there were more pretzels,"_ comes down the line in response from Kaminski. That is a prearranged code phrase they'd organised before the men went in. It means that their suspects have moved too close for them to talk directly to their wires anymore but also that those outside should be alert and ready to come in on their say so.

Castle is now waiting for one of the two men to say, ' _Nachos_ ,' which will be the signal for them to raid the bar. In preparation he pulls out his Glock from the holster on his hip and gives it a quick check. Beside him Kate does the same and as she does so he reaches over and checks the straps on the blue bullet proof vest she is wearing. When she is finished checking her sidearm she flashes him a grateful smile before reaching over and doing the same check on the vest he is wearing.

It is as they are making these preparations that they both hear over the radio a loud sound that can only be a person being slapped hard and it is immediately followed by the terrified sobs from at least two female voices. Both he and Kate look towards the entrance of the bar and Castle can see several of the patrons exiting via the front door no doubt eager to put some distance between themselves and whatever is about to take place in the bar between the mobsters and their girls.

"I don't like the look or sound of this, Kate. I think we should go in now," proposes Castle to his wife.

He glances over at Kate to see her thinking and looking hard at the entrance of the bar a block away but she shakes her head as she responds, "I feel the same way, Castle, but we've got to trust the guys that are in there. It's their call." She does start her car however so that they can get to the entrance of the bar in the shortest amount of time.

Then over the radio a thickly accented male voice can be heard saying, " _Why don't you two beat it? Go find another place to have a drink. We're closing."_

 _"_ _Aww, come on, man. We just got here. Let us finish our beers at least,"_ comes the protest from Kaminski.

" _I said we're closing. Hit the road,"_ says the voice menacingly.

Any further discussion between the taskforce members and the unseen Russian thug is curtailed by louder yelling in Russian followed by even louder female screams.

Immediately there is a curse from Ken as he yells down his wire, " _Shit, Gun!"_

Then comes, _"Nachos!"_ yelled by Kaminski followed by a loud bang of something hitting wood. At that Kate throws her car it into gear and sets them off towards the bar's entrance, their tyres screaming as she floors it. From around the corner, on the other side of the bar, Castle sees a large white van followed by several ACPD squad cars, their red and blue lights flashing, equally come tearing up to the front of the bar.

As they are pulling up to the front of the bar Castle hears both Kaminski and Kent yelling over the radio, " _POLICE! DROP YOUR WEAPONS! LET THE WOMEN GO!"_

Both he and Kate wrench their car doors open and as their feet hit the pavement there are the sounds of multiple gun shots inside. From over the hood of her car Castle shares a look with Kate as they both draw their guns and hustle towards the bar's entrance.

Just as Kate's back hits the front wall of the bar next to front door, with Castle right beside her the white van and accompanying squad cars screech to a halt next to Kate's car. From the van, Douglas, Mayhew and Pritchard, all wearing vests and with guns drawn, jump out to join them followed by several uniformed officers from the surrounding cars.

Kate then looks him questioningly in the eye and at his brisk nod in responds she is pulling open the door of the bar. With gun raised Castle strides into the bar and yells, "POLICE! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"

He is barely inside the bar when another fusillade of shots comes from his right and several bullets hit the wall near him. Castle ducks down as the bullets whip around him and dives for cover behind a nearby table, knocking it onto its side to give himself more protection. Right behind him dives Kate as she joins him behind his makeshift refuge.

"Are you hit?" she asks him with wide eyed concern.

He shakes his head negatively and asks with equal concern, "You?"

She likewise shakes her head to indicate she made it to cover without being hit and then there are more shots, this time from their left. Looking in the direction of these second set of shots Castle can see Kent behind his own overturned table peering over it with his gun pointed towards the other side of the bar where the first set of shots came from. Next to the Detective Castle can see at least two cowering women with their arms over their heads as if to protect themselves from the gunfire and the noise.

Castle then risks a quick look around the side of his cover to see what he can see. On the floor between him and the rear of the bar are the bodies of two men. Beyond the bodies, near the rear entrance of the bar is another upturned table and as he looks three men pop up from behind it with guns up and firing.

With his heart pumping he quickly brings his own gun to bare and returns fire and he is not the only one. From next to him Kate has popped up over the top of their cover and is shooting back at the men. From the front door of the bar Douglas and Detective Prichard have made it inside and are also returning fire.

Kent is adding his own fire as well and then Kaminski appears firing from behind the bar and a lot closer to the trio that are shooting at them. With this number of guns in such and enclosed space the three criminals stand no chance and all three go down with multiple hits.

"THIS IS THE POLICE! SURRENDER! YOU"VE GOT NOWHERE TO GO! THROW YOUR WEAPONS DOWN AND COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" yells Kate from beside him.

All she gets for her trouble is a some shouted, guttural Russian that Castle recognises as some very ugly swear words before one voice yells back in heavily accented English, "GO FUCK YOURSELF, BITCH!"

At that two more men pop up and start firing causing several of the bottles of liquor behind the bar to explode as they hit them trying to get Kaminski while a further two make a dash for the back door. They open it but immediately stop dead and raise their hands as they look down the barrels of the guns of the four ACPD uniforms that are covering the rear exit. More uniforms have come through the front door and one of the men firing at from behind the table is shot in the shoulder by one of them.

The remaining man drops back down out of sight and Kate calls out again, "GIVE IT UP! YOU ARE SURROUNDED! _"_

There is a long pause followed by more Russian swearing. Then Castle is relieved to hear the definite thuds of several guns being tossed over the top of the overturned table at the back of the bar as the same accented voice from before calls out in exasperation, "OK! We surrender!"

Castle shares a look with Kate and together they look around their cover to see the welcome sight of three large, heavily tattooed men standing up behind the overturned table with their arms raised. The one in the centre, they recognise from the file they saw at ACPD headquarters as being the leader, Oyarzov.

As several uniformed officers move forward with their guns still up and covering the grim faced criminals to take them into custody Castle looks around and seeing that Kate and the rest of the team are unhurt breathes a sigh of relief and says, "Well that didn't go exactly as planned."

* * *

 _A/N: Bit of action in this one. I thought it was about time. Thank you to you all for sticking with this story._


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Apologies for the delay in the release of this chapter. Work is still busy and I lost my inspiration to write for a bit this week as a result of that and other things._

 _Disclaimer: Castle is the property of ABC and not me._

* * *

 _Interrogation Room - Atlantic City Police Department Headquarters - the next day_

Kate takes a moment to look at the man seated across the table from her, his wrists shackled to the table in front of him and seated next to his grey haired and black suit wearing lawyer. He's a big man, if he was standing she'd see he is well over six feet tall, but he is also big in terms of his physique. Even through the sleaves of the orange prisoner jumpsuit he's wearing Kate can see the bulging muscles in the man's arms not to mention his broad and prominent chest.

What skin that is exposed, his forearms and neck, are covered in a variety of tattoos. Some of them Cyrillic words that her semester abroad in Kiev tells her are mostly swear words with the occasional threat like 'I'll kill your mother'. His head is almost clean shaven with just a slight stubble of blond hair covering his head and she is surprised that there aren't more tattoos on his scalp as well.

She then looks at the man's face and it is obvious that in his forty-eight years Andre Oyarzov has been in quite a few fights. His nose bares the unmistakable signs of having been broken several times and there is a long scar running along his left cheek. As she looks in his dark blue, almost black eyes, she is reminded of the soulless gaze of a shark as the man looks at back at her with about the same amount of emotion as a cold blooded predator of the deep.

Before she begins she glances at the person beside her and not for the first time since she sat down in the interrogation room, wishes it was someone else. Or rather that it was one particular person assisting her with this interrogation….Castle. Instead, because they are in their city, she has Detective Mayhew beside her to assist with trying to break Oyarzov.

With the Russian gang in custody they'd raided their warehouse base of operations and several of their homes. At each location they found minimal evidence linking the gang to the illegal activity they were suspected of, let alone to the murders her taskforce is investigating. Then they had interviewed the three girls that Kent and Kaminski saved from Oyarzov and his goons at the bar.

Two of them were too scared to talk but the third, a young woman by the name of Sasha, who is only two months in America from her home in Estonia, had shown a bit more courage or foolishness, depending on your point of view. Kate had used her experience staying in Eastern Europe as a young college student and her knowledge of the Russian language to bond with the blond haired young woman and had encouraged her to open up. Open up Sasha did as she told them of a shut down and boarded up diner just a mile from the gang's warehouse where they would find what they were looking for.

Apparently one of Oyarzov's lieutenant's had taken a shine to her and he was very indiscreet during their post coital pillow talk. He'd told her that because the police knew about the warehouse and where they lived they had come up with the abandoned diner, bought through an anonymous shell company based in the Caymans, as a place to stash what they didn't want the police to find.

When they raided the diner and captured the two gang members that were there to guard the place, they'd been fortunate to do so before the two had been able to set off the explosives linked to the barrels of fuel dotted around the building. This failsafe had been intended to burn any evidence to ash but again, thanks to her indiscreet lover, Sasha had warned them of what to expect and they'd been able to capture everything kept in the diner intact.

What they found, when they broke open the old, padlocked, walk-in freezer in the kitchen, were bags of meth, cash and crates of automatic weapons. In the former manager's office they found a laptop that Tory, recently arrived with Esposito, Ryan and Gibson from New York, took all of ten minutes to crack open.

On it they found the books for the gang covering all their operations from the drugs, to the weapons and including their prostitution ring. Also on it were the numbers of the several offshore accounts that they would deposit their ill-gotten gains into.

Those accounts, thanks to Douglas' federal friends, are now frozen with the Justice and State Departments currently working with the overseas banks in question on having the funds in the accounts seized. Then, to top it all off, everything at the diner can be directly linked to the man seated opposite her and other members of his gang thanks to the numerous fingerprints and samples of their DNA that the NJSP crime scene techs found there matching their prisoners.

With all this, not to mention the charges of attempted murder, resisting arrest and others as a result of the shoot-out at the bar, Kate knows that the Atlantic City Detective next to her is more than happy with the knowledge that they finally have what they need to put Oyarzov and his thugs away for a long time. She, however, is not quite as happy.

While pleased that this gang of dangerous criminal is going to be off the streets, they have yet to find any evidence linking them to the murders which are the whole reason for the taskforce being in Atlantic City. The techs had gone all over the Mercedes SUV that matches the street cam footage of the one leaving the Harris crime scene but they can't find any evidence of a bound person, which had been badly beaten, being transported in the vehicle. On top of that the fibres of the carpet inside the SUV have been found not to be a match for those found on their victim.

Without any physical evidence their only hope is to break Oyarzov or one of his men in the box and get them to admit to the killing. As she again studies the man who is currently looking contemptuously at her she thinks she can get him to talk but she admits she can't realistically hold out much hope at breaking the Russian. She'll still give it her best shot however and she does think she has a way to get under his skin. Kate just hopes it'll work.

"You know what I find funny, Andre?" starts Kate with casual, joking tone as if she is about to share the best joke in the world with the criminal and again she wishes Castle was in here with her and not watching from behind the two way mirror to her left.

Her husband would know exactly where she is going and would immediately chime in with the next line, splitting Oyarzov's focus and concentration. Instead Mayhew just sits there and looks smugly at the suspect so Kate has to do everything herself for now.

Not surprisingly Oyarzov doesn't respond to Kate's question and just continues to look at her as if she is beneath his attention so she continues, "I find it funny that because one of your guys can't keep his mouth shut in bed and because you decided to get so heavy with those women in the bar we've been able to find more than enough to put you and your gang away for a very long time."

Finally Mayhew speaks up as he adds, "Yeah, great judgement shown there, Oyarzov."

Still Oyarzov says nothing but he just glares at the two of them so it is the expensive looking lawyer next to him that eventually says, "My client is exercising his right to remain silent, Captain."

"Really?" responds Kate with mock surprise. "Well if he's sure that he doesn't want to put his side of things then that's decision. As I said we have more than evidence to make sure he's an old man by the time he gets out if he gets out at all. And to think that he's been brought down by one of his own girls. A big tough guy like him." Kate fixes Oyarzov with a look straight in his eyes as she continues mockingly, "How does it feel, Andre, to know that a weak woman, someone you take pleasure keeping under your power, is the reason that you're going to spend most of your life behind bars?"

Kate knows she's read the man right when she sees a definite colouring of the man's face and she's sure if this was a cartoon then steam would be coming out of his ears with the anger the Russian is starting to feel at her implication. She's surmised that a guy like Oyarzov, with his background, culture and lifestyle as a professional criminal that particularly runs hookers, young frightened women smuggled into the county illegally and threatened to do his bidding, would have a low opinion of the female gender. Being such a chauvinist, that it would be a slight against his twisted sense of honour that a woman would be responsible for his downfall.

Her tactic is get Oyarzov angry. Normally a guy like him would stay as silent as the Ural Mountains so her best chance for him to inadvertently let something slip is to get him so incensed that he doesn't know what he is saying. There's a chance the tactic won't work. That Oyarzov will see what she is trying to do, keep his cool and stay as silent as a Trappist monk but the reaction she's already been able to illicit from the criminal has her thinking that she's chosen the right track.

Time to stir the pot some more, she thinks, "Then there is the loyalty that one of your right hand men, Michael, has shown. When he realised that, because he couldn't keep his pants and his mouth zipped, he's responsible for this mess and knowing what you'll do to him as a result, he's cut a deal. A deal where he's told us everything in exchange for being put in witness protection."

Kate is pleased to see Oyarzov's eyes narrow and his face go even redder and Kate is sure that he just needs one more push to get an explosion from the fuming mobster.

It is Detective Mayhew, however, that now supplies another straw to break Oyarzov's back as he chimes in with, "Because of the girl we found the laptop at the diner that gave us your overseas accounts and because of your buddy we've been able to confirm everything that the evidence is telling us and he even was able to give us the passwords for some of the accounts overseas where you sent your cash."

Kate then puts a small digital recorder on the table in front of Oyarzov and before pressing the play button says, "Then there are the words from our own mouth that have helped to put you away."

Once she's pressed play the room is filled with the distinctive voice of their suspect speaking rapidly in Russian. While the lawyer looks confused at what must be unintelligible words to him, Oyarzov looks challengingly at Kate.

Wanting to get the man even angrier she says to him, in her own flawless Russian, " _What? Did you think that nobody would understand you or that you weren't recorded while you told your guys to keep their mouths shut about the diner and, more importantly, the container?"_

It had been lucky that she'd had Douglas use her cell phone as a recorder and had her standing close by the Russians, back at the bar, as they'd waited for a van to arrive to take their prisoners back to the station. Upon hearing the recording she'd been able to interpret for the rest of the team what Oyarzov had said. On it, as she'd just told him in his mother tongue, he is threatening the surviving members of the gang to stay quiet and for no one to mention the diner or 'the container'.

Switching back to English for the rest of those present she says, "Knowing about the container we asked your guy that is already talking and he told us all about it. Told us about the container at that old wrecking yard that had your emergency stash of cash, drugs and guns. A stash that is now in the ACPD evidence locker. This means that we've got all your money and you've got no way to make any more. I'm afraid that if you thought that you'd be able to keep earning, even from inside prison, then you are dreaming."

Kate addresses the man seated next to Oyarzov directly, "I hope you were paid up front or you're working pro bono, counsellor, because I'm afraid your client here has nothing to pay you with."

The lawyer gives a quick, nervous, sideways glance towards Oyarzov and to Kate it's a bonus that they've even been able to put the seeds of doubt and distrust in the lawyer's mind. This seems to do it for the Russian finally as the explosion she's been digging for happens.

"SHUT UP!" shouts Oyarzov in heavily accented English. "You know nothing. You have nothing and if you have found anything then I'll hurt you and your families and your friends."

The lawyer puts a restraining and cautioning hand on Oyarzov's bicep as the man comes forward in his agitation as he says, "Mr Oyarzov, I advise you to remain calm and silent."

The criminal is so incensed that he rounds on his high priced legal advisor, shrugging off the man's hand as he says contemptuously, "You can shut up as well. What good are you to me now? Huh? These _govno golovy_ have taken everything from me and all you can say is stay calm and be quiet."

Now that they have him talking time to start on what she and the rest of the taskforce is here for as she says to the fuming Oyarzov, "Looks like you killed Simon Harris for nothing because if you thought by taking him out that you'd reduce the completion for your meth business it's now all beside the point because now you have no meth and no money."

A look of irritation appears over the top of Oyarzov's anger as he responds, "What is this about Harris? I didn't kill Harris. The man was a nobody…a stinking, greasy fry cook who barely sold enough product to cause a flea bite in my business."

There is a pause and Oyarzov's eyes start darting back and forth and Kate thinks that the criminal is starting to realise how indiscreet he is being. Not wanting him to think too long and decide to clam up Kate says conversationally, "It's Ok, Andre, thanks to the diner and the container we know the scale of your meth business and the quantity of drugs we found at Harris' doesn't come close to the amount you were selling. But you've got to admit with your reputation for…how shall I put this….ruthlessness, you still have one hell of a motive for being responsible for his murder. Look at it from our side. We already have you on the drugs, the guns and the girls adding Simon Harris' murder would just be icing on the cake. It would be no stretch for us, given all your other crimes, for us to convince a jury that you're guilty of his murder as well."

"I didn't kill him," insists Oyarzov looking her in the eye indignantly.

Kate looks back at him and a regretful part of her, the part that wants to catch the person responsible for four murders quickly, is saying that she believes him. So holding his gaze she asks, "Let's say I believe you, Andre, but I still have a murder to solve and it be quick and easy to pin it on you. Yet there is a part of me that wants to get justice and that can only come if I catch the real killers so why don't you help me out, huh? If you help me then we can rule you out for the murder and perhaps the DA will not push for life in prison for everything else."

This time Oyarzov turns to his lawyer and indicates with his head for the man to lean in. The two then have a quick, whispered conversation with the lawyer shaking his head negatively at first before, eventually, giving a reluctant nod if agreement.

With their mini conference over Oyarzov turns back to look at Kate and asks, "Ok, what do you want to know?"

"Firstly, let's eliminate you for killing Simon Harris. Where were you between 11pm and 1am the night before last?" she asks him.

Oyarzov gives a shifty look before answering, a little reluctantly, "I was at the diner meeting a delivery."

"A delivery of what?" jumps in Mayhew with his question.

Oyarzov just fixes him with an annoyed glare and the lawyer chimes in with, "What was in the delivery my client was meeting is beside the point, Detective. The pertinent thing is that he has an alibi for the murder."

Not wanting to get side-tracked by a pissing contest between Mayhew and the lawyer and wanting to keep Oyarzov talking she addresses the Russian directly as she says, "I think we can imagine what was in that delivery and that is not relevant for now. Have you got any way to confirm this?"

Oyarzov shrugs his shoulders then says, "Well that _nakip'_ that is already squealing like the pig he is can confirm it because he was there with me."

Kate nods her head as she accepts this information and makes a mental note to ask their informant to confirm just that.

"That still doesn't rule you out from ordering a couple of your guys to take out Harris," she now puts to him. "What about the G-wagon two of them showed up in at the bar? It matches one that was seen leaving the scene of Harris' murder. That's a possible link of two of your men to the murder. Did you order them to kill Harris?"

Oyarzov shakes his head negatively, "No, again those two and their truck was with me at the diner that night….." There is a pause and then Oyarzov lets out a sigh of frustration as he then admits, "Check the laptop you found. I had a hacker I do business with install a program it that allows me access to the GPS in all my guys cars. With it I can track them wherever they go, make sure they aren't trying to cheat me. If you look you'll confirm that their truck was at the diner the whole time Harris was being killed. In fact, using that, you'll be able to confirm none of my guys were anywhere near where Harris was killed at the time."

Again Kate makes another mental note to have Tory check them man's story but she has to admit it is all ringing true for her. It doesn't mean he still couldn't have ordered it and those responsible stole a car for the deed but something is telling her that he isn't the one responsible for Harris' murder.

"So, if you didn't have anything to do with Harris' murder, who did? Insignificant competition to you that he was surely you would know who else in the city Harris' little side business might have offended and gotten him killed?" asks Kate.

Oyarzov shrugs his shoulders again as he answers, "I don't know. Maybe it was that bitch Sylvie Baressi. I heard that she was pissed off because Harris tried parking across the street from the Ace of Diamonds a couple of times to sell his food and other things. Her guys chased him off but he kept coming back and word was that she was going to do something to make sure he stopped, permanently."

"That gels with Liguria's feud with the Baressi's," Mayhew whispers in her ear annoyingly. "I bet Happy Joey told Harris to do that just to get under Sylvie's skin."

Ignoring Mayhew's aside, Kate continues, this time opening up the file folder on the table in front of her. From it she pulls out head shot photographs of the rest of their victims and lays them out on the table in front of the Russian. Wanting to get as much information from the man while he is still talking, before his innate disinclination towards helping the police kicks back in, she asks, "What about these other three. All of them were murdered just like Harris was. Now we know Harris was dirty but we haven't been able to find anything yet on these three. Do you know them?"

She watches as Oyarzov's eyes dart from one photo to the next before he answers, indicating with his head towards the head shot of Natalie Collins, "Well, I don't know that one."

Then he indicates towards the photo of Helen Nguyen, "But that one, I know she's a talent scout for Joey Liguria. She identifies, recruits and runs girls for Liguria that make 'special' visits to some of the guests staying at his casino. She used to work in client services and she still did, just off the books."

He then indicates towards the photo of Brian Samuels, "That one was like Harris. From what I heard he pushed drugs up and down the boardwalk to likely passengers in his trike and other tourists for customers."

"And he and Harris both worked for Happy Joey Liguria?" asks Mayhew eagerly from beside her.

Oyarzov nods his head, "Yeah, the three that I know of all worked for that wop."

As Mayhew sits back in his seat, obviously satisfied now that he's got confirmation about Liguria, Kate is more concerned with who is responsible for killing Simon Harris and the other three people represented by the photos in front of her. So she pushes Oyarzov again, "And besides most of them being involved with Joseph Liguria can you tell me of any reason why all of them might have been killed and so brutally?"

"I don't know. Maybe they pissed off Joey somehow and he took them out. Maybe that Baressi bitch killed them to get back at Joey. Maybe there's someone else that is pissed off with Joey or his operation and decided to kill them. All I can tell you is that it wasn't me or my guys," Oyarzov denies confidently.

* * *

 _Observation Room – back at the start of the interrogation_

Castle is drawn from one of his favourite spectator sports, watching his wife manipulate a suspect in the box with the skill of a master conductor with their orchestra, as the door into the room opens and Councilwoman Zammis enters. With a brief smile and a nod of acknowledgment she moves to stand beside Detective Pritchard, who is standing beside Castle as they watch the interrogation.

Castle's curiosity is now partially drawn from the spectacle he is watching through the two way mirror in front of him and now towards the presence of the politician that has joined them. Apparently he isn't the only one as Pritchard asks, "Can we help you, ma'am?"

The woman flashes what Castle recognises as a false, publicity smile at them as she answers casually, "Oh, don't mind me, Detective. I just had to see this from myself. This Oyarzov and his gang have been operating for years with impunity in my district and I just had to see them being brought to justice with my own eyes."

Pritchard shrugs his shoulders at her response as if her reason for being here, now that he's heard it, doesn't really concern him but then Castle detects a distinct stiffening in his posture at Zammis' next words.

"I'm also pleased that Detective Castle and his wife's team have been able to finally bring these guys down so quickly after the ACPD struggled for years to get them off the streets. It shows the mayor was right to bring them in on these murders," says the woman and Castle can see the look in her eye that says that she knows that what she is saying is the sly dig she intends it to be towards the competence of the ACPD.

There is silence for a few moments in the room from the three of them as they then continue to watch the interrogation happening in the other room. Again Castle's focus has been split by the presence of Zammis in the room so when Kate mentions how they've impounded all of Oyarzov's cash, drugs and guns at the diner and container they discovered, not to mention the man's offshore accounts, it is he and not Pritchard that notices a slight frown come across Zammis' lips.

He is just starting to ponder the possible significance of such a reaction when his attention is drawn back to the interrogation as Oyarzov starts getting angry. Now part of him wants to be in the interrogation with Kate because despite the big man being shackled to the table he still doesn't like Kate being in there with the Russian without himself there to back her up.

He understands, however, the reasoning behind why Mayhew had to be in there with her but that doesn't mean he has to like it. Then as he watches as his wife's tactic, of making the man mad so that he'll start talking, works he again marvels at Kate's skill at interrogating a suspect. One thing's for sure, he thinks, like he already knows, he will never be able to keep anything from Kate. Not that he would because they've both learned long and hard lessons of the toll keeping secrets from one another has on their relationship.

As Oyarzov makes his final denial at being responsible for any of the four murders they are investigating Zammis gives a very audible sigh and says, "Well, I must be going. I've got some calls to make. I just wanted to see that these criminals are going to get the justice they deserve and I'm happy to see that they are."

The black haired woman turns to Castle and says with the politician's fake charm, "Thank you again for all you and your colleagues are doing for our city, Detective Castle, and please pass my thanks onto your wife. I just hope you will have similar success with these murders that brought you here in the first place before someone else dies."

With that, to Castle's mind, little dig now towards the taskforce at not having found the killers of their four victims, the Councilwoman gives him and Pritchard a nod and she exits the room. As she is leaving she passes Esposito and Ryan who are just entering the observation room. The two NYPD Detectives look curiously at her as she passes them on her way out of the room before shutting it behind her and joining him and Pritchard standing at the glass.

As they do so Castle turns to Pritchard and asks, "Is she usually so supportive of law enforcement?"

Pritchard gives a small grin as he responds sarcastically, "Oh yeah. Whenever there's a major crime in her district or even a neighbouring one she's usually the first one knocking on the Captain's door asking for an update. She can really be a pain in the ass sometimes. Talking big about law and order and supporting the police on one hand while criticising the lack speed or success of some of our investigations on another."

"Gee, with a friend like that in city hall, who needs enemies?" suggests Ryan from his place standing next to Esposito on the other side of Pritchard.

Before there can be any more discussion on the so called support of Councilwoman Zammis for the police they all observe as the group in the interrogation room rise from their seats and two ACPD uniforms enter the room at Mayhew's instruction to take the Russian gang leader back to his cell. Pritchard leaves the room with the obvious intent to join his partner and Castle is about to do the same and go and confer with Kate, when Esposito puts a firm hand on his chest, stopping him in his tracks.

As Ryan shuts the door to the room behind the departed Pritchard, Esposito says, "Not so fast, Castle. We need a word."

Confused and wanting to get out of the room so that he can talk to Kate about the interrogation and the now niggling suspicions he has about Councilwoman Zammis he asks, "Huh, what about guys?"

"We need to talk about what we discussed back in New York, before you came down here," says Ryan. "You know? About a certain bachelor party and how Kate or Lanie and therefore Jenny, can't find out about anything that happened here that night."

"Yeah, so have they found out anything?" asks Esposito. "Have you been able to steer them clear of the places we went too?"

Realisation hits Castle as he remembers the boys concern about the details of their little party from years ago being discovered by Kate or others. To be honest with himself he had forgotten all about that since the murder of Simon Harris, despite the brief encounter he and Kate had with that waitress at the Valhalla. He then also remembers that he hasn't told his two friends about that encounter yet and given how seriously they are both looking at him he's not looking forward to the reaction from them when he does.

He tries to allay their concerns as he says casually, "Oh, you guys have nothing to worry about. They don't have a clue about what happened that night and none of the sites related to the investigation have intersected with the venues we visited that night….Well, except for one," he reluctantly admits at the end.

"What do you mean, 'except for one,' Castle?" presses Esposito as he immediately jumping on Castle's admission.

Trying not to look to rueful, Castle responds, "Well, uh, the casino that is run by one of our suspects, Joey Liguria, is the Valhalla and Kate and I went to interview him there and when we were there we ran into someone."

"Who?" asks Ryan quickly.

"Uh, she was a waitress at the casino and she recognised me from that night," Castle now admits carefully bracing for the reaction from the two men.

He's not disappointed as Ryan holds up his two hands in despair and starts muttering, "Great, just great." While Esposito glares at him as the Hispanic Detective asks, "How did you explain to Beckett about the waitress recognising you?"

"I told her that the woman only recognised me from my bachelor days, well before I met any of you, when I'd come to Atlantic City for some fun from time to time. A ruggedly handsome big spender like me is sure to be remembered. I told her all I would have done is have a good night at the poker tables which is what I now remember is what we did at the Valhalla that night. I'm confident Kate bought the story…Yeah, I'm sure she bought it," he reaffirms with a confidence that he's actually not a hundred percent sure about.

There is a brief silence for a moment as the boys consider Castle's explanation and Castle hastens to add, "The difficult thing is guys is that I didn't remember we'd been at the Valhalla until I ran into that woman. I don't know about you but I can't be certain about all the places we ended up at that night or what we did when we were there and if I can't remember all the places where we were it's going to be difficult to steer Kate away from them."

A thoughtful look graces Ryan's face as he considers Castle's argument before he turns to Esposito and says, "He's right, Javi. I can't remember everywhere we went that night either. What about you?"

Now a rueful look is on Esposito's face as he admits as well, "Yeah, I can't remember them all either."

"Look, the story that I'd been remembered thanks to my wild past seemed to work this time so if it happens again I say we stick with that. Kate bought it once, she should buy it again," suggests Castle looking back and forth between the two men.

The two partners share a look between them and both shrug their shoulders at the same time before turning back to Castle and Ryan saying, "Ok, we'll stick with any future encounters being because from your depraved past."

Castle is about to object to the word, depraved, when Esposito adds, "It still doesn't help if Kev or I get recognised so we all better start trying to remember all the places we went too that night and what we did there. That way we can try to avoid them unless they become case related."

"What's case related?" comes the questioning voice of Kate from the now open door of the room making all three of them jump in surprise and turning to look guiltily at her.

As she cocks an inquisitive eyebrow towards them it is Esposito responds quickly with, "Ah, nothing Beckett. We were just discussing possible locations that our vics frequented other than their homes or workplaces. Trying to think of places where they might have left evidence linking them to Liguria."

"Yeah and with that thought Javi and I better be going to try and find them," adds Ryan and he almost drags Esposito by the forearm as they hastily leave the room.

Kate steps aside and into the observation room as the pair beat their hasty retreat and she watches them leave with undisguised scepticism at their reason for leaving so abruptly. Castle tries not to flinch as she turns that same sceptical gaze on him as she asks, "What was that about?"

Trying to play the boy's reaction to her appearance down he responds with what he hopes is a casual shrug as he offers, "I don't know. Maybe they're just tired from the long drive from New York."

"The long drive, huh? That's what you're going with, Castle?" she asks him continuing to look at him sceptically.

For the second time in this room Castle considers how it is next to impossible to keep anything from Kate these days. His wife considers him for a long moment with her arms crossed across her chest before she seems to relent and a small laugh escapes from her as she says, "Oh, you guys are priceless. The looks on your faces when I came in here. Like a bunch of school boys caught in the middle of a prank. I don't know what it is that has you three so worried….yet, but rest assured I'm going to find out so you might as well tell me, Castle."

Trying to keep up the pretence, if for no other reason that he doesn't want to get slapped up the side of his head by Esposito while not blatantly lying to her, Castle tries to give her his most innocent look, "I don't know what you mean, Kate. We were just discussing the case and how it relates to locations here in Atlantic City."

"Mmm, hmm. You keep saying that, Castle, but I suspect differently and we both know that you won't be able to keep this from me forever so you should just put yourself out of your soon to be had misery and tell me," she challenges and Castle can well imagine the 'misery' she is going to put him through if he doesn't tell her what is going on.

He is torn, however because, while he doesn't want to lie to Kate, he can't betray the trust of Espo and Ryan either. As this dilemma spins around in his head the disquiet he is feeling must be portrayed on his face as Kate steps up to him, puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder and says, "It's Ok, Castle. I understand. You can't betray the boys and I trust you. I know whatever it is it isn't serious. I'm just having some fun with you but I won't push you anymore. I'll let you tell me in your own time."

Castle looks at her in appreciation for her letting him off the hook and says gratefully, "Thanks, Kate."

"That's not to say I'm still not curious and want to know what is going on. Let alone the fact that I'm still going to torture Espo and Ryan until I find out but I promise to leave you alone for now. Just know that I expect you to tell me if it's something you think I should know about," she says to him reassuringly.

Castle thinks, for about the millionth time, on how much he loves the woman standing in front of him. She understands him now as much as he understands her and together they make a whole that would be diminished without the presence of either one of them.

With the love and gratitude he is feeling for the extraordinary creature standing in front of him and looking at him with her own blatant love and trust, he says to her, "I promise to tell you when I can and that when I do you'll laugh."

"Good," she nods is acceptance of his reassurance. "So, let's get back to finding these killers?"

"Yes, let's" agreed Castle readily.

* * *

 _A/N: A little bit of fun at the end of this chapter because this is Castle and they still manage try and have fun despite the grimness of the crimes they are investigating._

 _I promise that I will finish this story. While I fully sympathise with writers that get blocked and have to take a break from stories to keep them fresh, as a reader of fanfics myself I also well understand the desire to see the next chapter of a story I'm into as soon as possible. But sometimes there is not enough hours in the day to give writing the story the attention it deserves or sometimes the characters just stop speaking and you can't find their voices no matter how hard you try. While there may be delays in the release of chapters for this story due to real life I have plotted it out and will finish it. I just ask that readers understand that circumstances in the real world may sometimes interfere with the frequency of their release._

 _Thank you for sticking with it and for your appreciation for my little tale._


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: I do not own Castle in any way shape or form._

* * *

 _Atlantic City Boardwalk – early evening_

"They are getting uncomfortably close," Councilwoman Rachel Zamis says down the burner cell phone she has pressed to her ear as she stands looking out at the ocean.

She clinches her jacket closer around her frame as a particularly chilly gust of wind whips around her from the Atlantic and she listens to the response from the person on the other end of the line. The frown that is already on her lips only deepens at the person's words and she looks out the blue grey water in front of her with distinct displeasure.

"I understand that, but you have to understand how exposed this makes me. How do we know that Oyarzov won't tell them all about me to try and cut a deal?" she asks insistently and with a little fear.

Zamis listens again to the response from the other end of the line and nothing about her anxious attitude or sour expression changes as a result of what she hears. Not for the first time she wonders on the wisdom of getting involved with the man that she is speaking to and his schemes.

"Look, you introduced me to these Russians. Had me act as your intermediary on your behalf. While that protects you there is nothing to stop the S.I.T. banging on my door if Oyarzov tells them about me. I need assurances that will not happen. I need to know that Oyarzov will keep his mouth shut either on his own or because he's been taken care of," she states clearly and forcefully into the phone.

There is another long moment as she listens to the response and look of relief appears on her face at what she hears.

"You can guarantee that?" she presses wanting to make sure there are no misunderstandings.

At the definitive answer she gets to her question she nods her head and a sigh of relief escapes her lips, "Thank you. That is all I needed to hear."

She nods several more times to herself as she listens to the instructions from the person on the other end of the call. Having taken in everything the man tells her she responds, "Ok, I've got it. I'm to cease all activity until they leave town. Do not go near any of the drops or stores. No communication with any of our contacts or with you until you contact me. I'll still keep an eye on their investigation but only contact you if they look like getting close to information that leads to you."

Then, without even a word of goodbye there is the sound of the call disconnecting and Zamis pulls the phone from her ear, looks at the screen and sees that the call has ended. She pockets the phone and stuffs her hands in the outside pockets of her jacket as she gazes out at the ocean again.

She has to trust that her benefactor, which just hung up on her, has everything covered because the alternative is too horrible for her to contemplate otherwise. The ignominy of being arrested, spending years in prison not to mention losing her position on the council and the field day the media will have with it all at her expense. If she is exposed then the bright future that her involvement with her benefactor promises will evaporate quicker than the drops of spray that she can see being deposited onto the boardwalk in front of her by the rolling ocean. That is if she is allowed to live because while such a sanction is rare it can be a last resort of her 'friend' if she is perceived as a threat to him or his operation.

It had been during her first run for a seat on the council that a well-known power broker in the party had invited her to an event at a mansion in upstate New York. At that party she had been introduced to many powerful and influential people not the least of which was the man that just assured her that everything will be alright. He had flattered her at the time by telling her that he and others had been watching her and that they saw great promise in her. That they shared the same views of the world that she did and wanted to help her to achieve her goals and more. All she had to do in return was assist him with some 'special projects'.

Zamis freely acknowledges to herself that it was her own lust for status and power, not to mention a small amount of naivety, which led her to agreeing to come under her benefactor's influence. However, until now, his influence has been nothing but beneficial for her. She's served her time on the Atlantic City council with a reputation as a tough but fair champion of law and order while also being seen as a caring and sympathetic representative for her constituents. People are already whispering about her making a successful switch into federal politics soon and she has her connection to her benefactor to thank for that.

Thanks also for the money he has supplied to her campaigns and the image, publicity and campaign experts to which he's also introduced her to assist her with said campaigns. Little do the press, her colleagues on the council or those that vote for her know that the upstanding representative of the people that she purports to be actually has a hand in a fair proportion of the crime that plagues the city. A small part of her is not proud of this but she will do anything to get ahead and one day fulfil her dream of standing in the Capitol building in Washington DC as a person of influence and power that other people treat with deference and respect.

At first it was just helping with the passage of some local ordinances that he wanted passed. Then it was acting as an intermediary on some business deals that were legitimate at first but then became more and more dubious as time went on. By the time he'd asked her to act as his go between with Oyarzov and his gang of Russians she was in so deep that it was too late to even think of saying no. Not that she had honestly ever thought of doing so because she was enjoying the path her political life is taking as a result of the man's influence and guidance.

So what if some people who would never amount to much anyway are hurt by the crime in the city that she has played an indirect role in? If doing what she has been doing for the man in upstate New York gets her the power that she wants then any means that are necessary, no matter their legality or dubious morality, are fine with her. The most important thing for her, of course, is that she not get caught.

For this she relies on her benefactor because she has never been a hands on person as far as some of his more aggressively illegal operations are concerned. She has no stomach for violence and given Oyarzov's aggressive attitude at times she would try and keep their face to face meetings to an absolute minimum. She just hopes that the reassurances that she's just been told were not just to placate her and that Oyarzov really has been paid a lot of money, money that not even the S.I.T. has discovered apparently, to keep his mouth shut. Then, even if they do find that money, her benefactor promised that Oyarzov would be 'taken care of'.

Turning away from the view of the ocean she starts walking down the boardwalk and back towards where her car is parked. As her heels clack on the wooden deck of the boardwalk she tries to think of her upcoming campaign for a seat in the House of Representatives and put all thoughts of possibly indiscreet Russians behind her.

* * *

 _At that moment - not far away_

Investigator Lisa Gibson of the New York State Police, casually gathers up the duffle bag concealing the parabolic microphone and rises from the wooden bench to follow the Atlantic City Councilwoman as she walks away from her and down the boardwalk.

"Did you get that?" she asks into the microphone on the inside of her coat collar while slowly flowing Zamis, making sure to keep her in sight while not straying too close to her.

" _Got it all, Gibson. Where's she going?"_ asks the voice of Detective Ryan from the earwig deep in her ear.

"Looks like she's heading back to her car. Are you and Espo ready to tail her?" she asks down the open connection of her cell phone that the microphone and earwig are connected to by Bluetooth.

" _Yeah, we're all set and tracker on her car is still broadcasting so we can't lose her,"_ comes the reply from Esposito this time.

"OK, I'll join you in my car as soon as I can," she tells them as she continues to watch their target make her way back to her vehicle.

Gibson is thankful that there are enough tourists strolling up and down the boardwalk at the moment to conceal her as she follows Zamis and yet there are not so many that there is a risk she'll lose sight of her. Then even if Zamis did notice her there's a good chance she would just dismiss Gibson, casually dressed as she is, with the duffel bag over one shoulder, as just another visitor to Atlantic City taking in the sights of the boardwalk as the lights start to come on as dusk falls.

She is here, following a member of the local city council and listening in on their conversations thanks to a 'feeling' that Castle has. Apparently something that Councilwoman Zamis did while watching the Captain interrogate the Russian mobster, Oyarzov, seemed suspicious to Castle and he had told the Captain so. While others, the two Atlantic City Detectives they are assisting in particular, scoffed at the idea of the politician being involved in any of the crimes they are investigating the Captain, his wife, had taken his suspicions on board.

It was the Captain that had showed a photo of Councilwoman Zamis to the call girl and Oyarzov's lieutenant that have both turned informant for different reasons and have given them so much helpful information already. It was the lieutenant that had confirmed that he had seen Oyarzov and Zamis speaking together once. He had been acting as lookout and protection for his boss when the mobster had met with the woman one time in a boarded up business on the boardwalk that had been closed since Hurricane Sandy.

Despite the fact that Oyarzov himself denied knowing Zamis when asked, Castle's observations and the cooperation from Oyarzov's lieutenant was all they needed to now start looking closely at the woman and to start tailing her. Fortunately when she, Ryan Esposito and Tory had made their way here to join the rest of the taskforce Tory had brought a slew of equipment with her, including the surveillance equipment she just used to listen in on one side of Zamis' phone conversation. They haven't got a warrant yet to allow them to tap her phone, email and other methods of communication though Castle did say he was going to work on that with an old poker buddy.

As Gibson is the only one of the taskforce that Zamis hasn't met yet she had been given the task of running point on the surveillance of Zamis with Ryan and Esposito backing her up. She has already spent the day following the woman from her offices in the Atlantic City Hall, to a couple of publicity events and watch the woman do what politicians do. Give boring speeches, shake the hands of as many voters as possible and smile politely and try to look interested in whatever the particular person in front of her is telling her. It was after such an event at a local nursing home that Zamis had headed here to the boardwalk and not back to city hall and so Gibson had taken the chance of bringing the parabolic mic, hidden in its specially made duffle bag, on the off chance that they'd hear something incriminating.

Luck had been with her because what she'd heard through the playback that Ryan sent to her earwig, as he recorded the feed from the mic back in his car, further reinforces that Zamis was involved with the Russian gang the team just took down. It also indicates that there is someone else, above the councilwoman in the scheme of things, which is also involved and may actually be behind it all. Gibson is sure that the Captain will want to know who this person is.

Having reached the parking lot where Zamis has left her car Gibson watches from a distance as Zamis gets into her silver BMW sedan and drives off. As their target's car pulls into the street she says into her microphone, "Guys, she's turning right out of the lot. Have you got her?"

As she finishes speaking she sees Esposito and Ryan's red Charger pull out from where it is parked on the side of the street a bit further down from the lot and start following Zamis' car. Walking quickly now she hurries over to her own dark blue Charger, just like the Captain's and she hears from Esposito over her earwig, " _We got her."_

Soon she is sitting behind the wheel of her car, putting the duffle bag on the passenger seat beside her and starting the engine. She then pulls out her cell phone from her coat pocket, swipes the screen until the tracking app that Tory installed is visible and showing the dot of Zamis' car moving on a street map and then sets it in the holder on her dash.

With the car now in motion she merges with traffic as she exits the parking lot and follows down the street in the wake of their target and Esposito and Ryan. As she glances at her phone to confirm that Zamis is still ahead of her she marvels again that she is working with Captain Beckett-Castle and her team.

Gibson knows that some other members of the team, Esposito and Ryan particularly, look upon her hero worship of the Captain and, to a lesser degree, her husband, with some amusement. However she just can't help it.

She would have thought with the time now that she's spent working closely with the couple would have dulled her enthusiasm for working with the pair but it hasn't. In fact, if anything, it has only intensified her feelings of awe at having the chance to work, day to day, side by side with one of her idols.

She's even embarrassed to admit that she may have even started dressing like the Captain occasionally. She may have even gone as far as visit Canal Street to purchase some more affordable copies of a few of the Captain's Burberry coats. That had led to a couple of mortifying instances when she'd turned up to work dressed almost the same as the Captain was that day, a fact that two NYPD Detectives and a certain NYPD Auxiliary Detective were always quick to bring to the attention of the rest of the team.

Fortunately the Captain has laughed off any such instances but a part of Gibson is afraid of offending her superior or worse, making her think that she has some kind of creepy obsession with her. She has it under control now and she can actually have long conversations with both the Captain and Castle without getting caught up in the amazing fact that she is talking to one of her heroes.

It was Castle himself that put her at ease one day early in her time with the taskforce and after she'd been particularly tongue tied during a briefing. At the time her brain and mouth and frozen as she'd been hit with the realisation that Kate Beckett-Castle was sitting not two feet away from her and listening to every word she was saying.

Castle had pulled her aside after she had spent some time in the ladies restroom afterwards splashing water on her face to try and snap out of it. With an understanding look in his eye he'd told her of a time when the Captain had met one of her heroes while on a case, baseball legend Joe Torre. The fact that the seemingly always cool and collected Captain Kate Beckett-Castle could be reduced to embarrassed incoherence upon meeting a sports star had made Gibson feel better about herself and she is grateful to Castle for that.

Then she'd been quick to learn that that is just how Castle is. Despite the image of the rich playboy writer in the tabloids that he had for years and goofball around the precinct sometimes that he can be, she has seen that the man himself is actually a loyal, caring, down to earth gentleman that just likes pulling a leg or three if it will lighten the mood. And he's certainly pulled her leg more than a few times but he's also put her at ease as much as possible too whenever he's correctly perceived that she was letting her hero worship get the better of her.

Now she can act like the professional NYSP Investigator she is…..mostly.

* * *

 _Margate Marketplace – at the same time_

Detective Kaminski sits in his cruiser, Detective Sergeant Kent in the passenger seat beside him and watches the entrance of the PO Box store opposite. After a long search he had found that the keys that they'd found at their victim, Simon Harris' home were as the Captain said, from a set of private PO Boxes. PO Boxes that he'd finally tracked down to this store here in this quiet little strip mall at the southern end of Atlantic City.

Warrant in hand they had searched the boxes in question and had indeed found bags full of cash and meth stuffed into four of the boxes. The bored looking young guy working behind the counter couldn't tell them who had put the cash or the drugs there or how often someone visited the boxes. Again as the Captain had suspected there are no cameras in the store that could help them identify who was Harris' supplier. The boxes had been rented by Harris using an alias and fake ID so if it wasn't for the fact that they had the keys and Harris' picture they wouldn't have even been able to link the boxes to him.

The Captain has taken the evidence back to ACPD headquarters to see if anything can be learned from it and has left him and Kent here to stake the boxes out to see if anyone will come and collect Harris' stash before the authorities can find it. He doesn't hold out much hope but it's worth a shot because at the moment the local press is full of the dramatic takedown of the Russian gang at that bar so that even another 'Wired Up' killing has been pushed to the background.

It had been Castle that had suggested they stakeout the boxes arguing that with the media's attention on the takedown of the Russians then whoever was behind Harris might think that the taskforce is tied up with that and it would be safe for them to retrieve what is stored there. So the Captain had ordered them to remain and keep watch for the time being until she can arrange for some ACPD detectives to relieve them.

"Son of a bitch!" suddenly exclaims the New Jersey Detective seated next to him and Kaminski tears his gaze from the object of their stakeout to look at the man as he grips the file folder he was reading with visible shock and surprise.

"What is it? Find something in that report on the guns we found stashed at the Russki's diner?" Kaminski asks.

Kent turns his wide, surprised eyes to him and answers, "You can say that I found something alright. The guns in two of the crates we found there were stolen from the same National Guard Armoury that the guns that were at my partner's shooting were stolen from. The serial numbers match."

Kaminski can feel his own eyebrows rise into his close cut hairline at that news as he responds incredulously, "Really! Wow…What are you going to do?"

Kent gets an eager look in his eye as he says, "Well, the minute we get back to the station I'm going to talk to that Oyarzov guy and get him to tell me where he got those guns from. Hell, he may have even been a part of the smuggling ring that got my partner killed. Either way this is just the break I've been hoping for."

Not wanting to rain on his partner's parade Kaminski still thinks that he better be the voice of reason as he suggests, "What about the Captain? Shouldn't you bring something like this to her? This directly involves our current case so she needs to know. Plus it could just be the reason you are looking for to have the taskforce reopen your partner's case."

He watches as Kent takes a long moment to consider his words. The New Jersey Detective looks down at the papers in his hands and then back up at him before finally responding ruefully, "I'll admit there's a part of me that just wants to run with this myself but I can see what you are saying and you're right. This could be an opportunity to reopen Jake's case officially and use the taskforce's resources to finally find those responsible."

Kaminski nods his head in agreement, "That's right. No more sneaking around behind the Captain's back not that I don't think she already knows about everything we've been doing already. Only yesterday Castle gave me the name and number of a guy he knows thanks to his book research that, in his words, 'knows how to transport items that aren't found in the back of your average UPS truck'. He thought he might be able to give us a line on who the guys that killed your partner were working for. That shows that Castle knows what we are doing and if Castle knows you can sure as shit bet that the Captain knows."

"Yeah, it's probably one of the many topics of their pillow talk," responds Kent with a cheeky smile.

Drop dead gorgeous woman that their Captain is the thought of her and Castle in bed together immediately sends a shiver if distaste down Kaminski's spine as and objects to the man beside him, "Jeeze, thanks for putting that in my head, man. I do not want to even think of what the Captain and Castle get up to in the privacy of their own home….But seriously, you have to tell her. At the very least you've got to explain why you want to talk to Oyarzov and then she's going to know. Unless you plan to lie to her about it and I don't know if that's the right play. Not if you do want her help in the future."

There is another long pause before Kent responds, "OK, I'll tell her. I just hope this pans out and I can finally get the guys responsible for Jake's murder."

Relieved that Kent has seen reason Kaminski looks back at the font of the PO Box store in time to see a black SUV pull up near the front of the store they are watching. From the SUV a tall white guy in a black suit gets out and immediately heads to and enters the PO Box store.

"Heads up, looks like we might have a customer," Kaminski tells his partner.

Kent immediately puts the file folder he was reading to one side and pulls out his cell phone and just as he does so it emits a tone. That tone tells them that the small motion sensor that they placed in one of the bags that they left in the PO Boxes they are watching, supplied by their tech Tory Ellis, has been tripped.

They had hurried to fill the bags with anything that would match the size and weight of the cash and drugs that are currently being analysed by ACPD forensic techs. In the end they had made do with some bags of rock salt from a nearby hardware store for the meth and reams of copy paper from the stationery store next door to the PO Box store for the cash. It wouldn't pass scrutiny if the bags were opened but their reasoning is that whoever is here to collect the bags will do just that, as quickly as possible to try to avoid being seen and recognised. Therefore they won't open the bags and just pull them out of the PO Boxes and get out of there as quickly as quickly as possible. So as long as the bags on the outside look right and they feel like the right weight then they should be fine.

As he and Kent both get out of their cruiser together they see the same black suited man that just entered the store exiting with two of the blue duffle bags in question in his hands. Together he and Kent walk to intercept the man before he can make it to his SUV.

With some satisfaction he observes the deer in the headlights look that the man gives him and Kent as he pulls his Glock from his holster with one hand while in his other holds up his Connecticut State Police badge as he announces, "Police! Stop where you are. Drop the bags and put your hands above your head."

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks you all for taking the time to read this little story of mine._


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: I do not have any controlling interest in Castle at all._

* * *

 _ACPD Headquarters_

Beckett turns as Kent and Kaminski enter the observation room to join her, Castle and a very smug and self-satisfied Detectives Mayhew and Pritchard. At least they are smug and self-satisfied now. Earlier she had almost had to shout to get the pair to listen to her as they had forcefully argued to be the ones to conduct the interview they just observed.

The interview where her two detectives interrogated the guy that they caught trying to collect the drugs and cash from Simon Harris' PO Box. The guy who his ID revealed and confirmed by an eager Mayhew, as the Valhalla's Chief of Security, Frankie Dundalli. Mayhew and Pritchard had argued that, with their history with the man, that they should be the ones to conduct the interrogation.

Kate had considered it but had thought that because of their long and antagonistic history with Dundalli it was more likely that the mobster would just clam up out of spite rather than reveal anything useful. No, she'd decided that two new faces that Dundalli had no established biases with would be more likely to get the man to open up. She'd stood her ground against the increasing frustrated arguments of the AC Detectives but had agreed, as a way of getting them to shut up, to let them have a crack if Kent and Kaminski failed. Fortunately for her they didn't.

At first Dundalli had refused to say anything until his lawyer arrived but soon Kent and Kaminski had him talking when they got him to challenge the fact that all he was doing was picking up some bags for a friend and didn't know there was cash or drugs in them. They got him there because they hadn't opened the bags in his presence and so he did not know that there was only rock salt and copy paper in them so they countered with how he knew what was in the bags before they swapped out the contents. It also helped that Douglas had entered soon after with a forensic analysis of the cash and drugs originally in the bags and Dundalli's fingerprints were found to be all over both.

Faced with years in prison for the drugs and cash they then had him and he started to talk in exchange for a deal for less jail time which the Atlantic City District Attorney was able to provide after she had called him and managed to convince him. Once they had the deal Dundalli confirmed that he regularly supplied the drugs that Harris would sell from his food truck and took the cash the cook left in the PO Box that were the proceeds from him selling the drugs.

It had taken a bit more pressure from Kent and Kaminski but they eventually had Dundalli admit that the drugs and cash ultimately belong to his boss, 'Happy Joey' Liguria. It was this admission that has caused the pleased looks on the faces of the two ACPD detectives in the observation room with her.

"Well done, guys," she says to Kent and Kaminski and both men nod in thanks at her praise.

"No problem, skip. A lot of these mob guys act tough but the whole code of silence thing is in the past. Most of them can't handle the idea of heavy jail time and will do anything to avoid it," responds Kaminski.

"That's it!" exclaims Mayhew. "We can go and bring that son-of-a-bitch Liguria in now."

Beckett considers Mayhew's words before responding. With his lieutenant's testimony they do have enough to bring Liguria in. Not only over Harris' drug dealing but several other of Liguria's illegal operations that the now singing like a bird Dundalli has now supplied details to them about. On the other hand she would prefer to have more physical evidence at hand to link Liguria to these crimes before they bring him in. Otherwise, with a good lawyer, Liguria could say it was all Dundalli and he was just trying to shift the guilt onto him to avoid prison. Not to mention that nothing in interrogation she just watched showed a link to who his behind the multiple murders they are here to investigate.

"Detective, while you aren't under my command and therefore I can't stop you from arresting Liguria right away I would advise patience. You need more on Liguria before you can bring him in and get any charges to stick," Beckett says in a firm but conciliatory tone to Mayhew. "Otherwise he could wriggle out of this and I know you don't want that. How about you and Detective Pritchard get looking into the information that Dundalli gave my Detectives about the other operations that Liguria has going on. Once you have enough evidence that he can't explain away as just Dundalli's word against his I'll be more than happy to help you both go down there and slap the cuffs on him."

She had watched the eager expression on the ACPD Detectives fall slightly as she'd put the brakes on their intention to go and arrest Liguria right away but she can also see the acceptance in their faces at the logic of what she is saying as Mayhew says, "I guess you're right, Captain."

Detective Pritchard steps up next to his partner, putting a hand on his shoulder and says, "Come on, Ray. Let's do as the Captain suggests and look into the stuff Dundalli has given us. Together we'll make sure he can't worm his way out of it."

Mayhew gives his partner a nod and responds, "Ok, Frank."

Together the two partners leave the observation room intent on their quest and Beckett and the rest of her team present watch them go.

As the door closes behind the departing pair Kent then takes a tentative step towards her and says, "Captain, can we have a word?"

Thinking that Kent has something related to their murder cases she answers, "Sure, what is it, Kent?"

The New Jersey Detective shares a look with the Connecticut Detective before saying, "Um, back when I joined the taskforce you told me that if I ever came up with anything related to my partner's murder that I thought the taskforce could help with that I should bring it to you…..Well, I've discovered something I think the taskforce should look at regarding my partner's death and it is related to our case here….Not the murders, as far as I can tell, but there is definitely a link between Jack's death and Oyarzov and the Russians."

Castle's curiosity has obviously been peaked by the Detective's words just as hers has been as he asks, "What link?"

In response Kent passes her a manila file folder for her to read while turning to Castle to answer his question, "I found that some of the weapons we discovered at Oyarzov's diner are from a batch stolen from a National Guard Armoury several months ago, the serial numbers match. These guns are from the same batch that the guys who my partner and I encountered in the New Jersey Pine Barrens were smuggling. The same guys that killed him."

Kate opens the folder and seeing that Kent is correct and that the serial numbers match she says, "So I'm guessing that you want to ask Oyarzov where he got the guns?"

Kent nods his head eagerly, "Yes, ma'am. I want to ask him where he got them from and, more importantly, who he got them from. I figure that the same people responsible for getting him those guns were behind the guys that killed my partner."

"That is if Oyarzov wasn't part of the same organisation," suggests Castle. "From what we've found Oyarzov had a hand in running his own smuggling operation and that could have been part of the same operation behind the guys that killed your partner."

"That's right," agrees Kent. He then turns his attention back to Kate and looks at her sincerely, "Either way he knows something and as it is directly related to both cases I'm formally asking your permission to pursue this line of enquiry, Captain."

Kate shares a look with Castle as she considers her answer and her husband gives her a small nod in support. She turns her attention back to Kent and says, "Alright, Detective Sergeant, I formally give you permission to pursue this. Oyarzov is still in holding. Once you and Kaminski have written up your interview with Dundalli you can have a go at him but I wouldn't hold out much hope of getting anything from him that will incriminate him. When I was able to get him to talk it was only to counter any suspicion of him being involved with the murder or Harris and the others. He's still remained tight lipped about anything that is incriminating for him despite all the evidence we have."

"Thanks ma'am, and don't worry I'll get him to talk," responds Kent with appreciation and determination.

"You might have better luck with the ones that are already talking, his lieutenant and his girlfriend. They might know something and they are already talking," suggests Castle helpfully.

"Thanks, Castle. I'll give speaking to them a shot as well," responds Kent appreciatively.

Kate then turns to the Connecticut Detective and says, "Kaminski, you keep doing what you have been doing and help Kent with this. He needs the extra pair of eyes."

Kaminski gives her a rueful look as he responds, "Ah, yes Captain. I knew you already knew about me helping Kent. As long as you're fine with it I'll keep having his back."

At that moment there is a quick knock on the door to the observation room and it opens to reveal Special Agent Douglas leading a tall African American man in charcoal coloured suit into the room. The FBI agent looks at everyone in the room before focusing her attention on Kate and she sees what looks like an apologetic look in the agent's eyes as their gazes meet.

"Captain, this is Agent Harmsworth from Homeland Security. He's got an order to take custody of Andre Oyarzov and his men," Douglas tells her and again Kate can tell that she's unhappy telling her superior this news.

Little does Douglas realise that it is not Kate that has the strongest reaction to this news as Kent almost explodes in indignation, "What! You can't be serious? We are in the middle of an ongoing investigation here. They can't just take Oyarzov or his people away. We've still got a lot of questions to ask them."

Agent Harmsworth ignores the outburst from Kent, steps up to Kate and hands her a folded piece of paper that he's pulled from inside is jacket pocket, "Captain Beckett-Castle, this letter is from the Attorney-General and is countersigned by the NYPD Commissioner. You are to release the suspect Oyarzov and his associates to me for transport to a federal facility for further enquiries."

As Kate takes her time to read the proffered order she makes use of the time to consider her response. While she is doing that Kent chimes in again indignantly, "What about the charges that Oyarzov and his men are facing here in Atlantic City? The Atlantic City DA isn't going to want to let them go. He's going to want them to answer for their crimes here."

This time Harmsworth responds to Kent's words, turning to face him as he answers, "The Attorney General has spoken to both the Atlantic City DA and the Mayor and has outlined how it is a matter of national security that Homeland conduct our own investigation into these people. They have agreed and have given permission for them all to be transferred into Homeland's custody. I assure you that once we are done with them they will be returned to Atlantic City to answer for their crimes here."

"I take it, given the weapons we found and the foreign sources of some of their funding, that you suspect connections to either terrorism, espionage or even a major overseas crime syndicate?" proposes Castle thoughtfully from his place standing next to her.

Harmsworth now considers Castle with raised eyebrows and she suspects that Castle has hit the nail right on the head with his summation on why the feds would be interested in Oyarzov and his gang. The Agent dips his head in acceptance of Castle's supposition as he replies, "That would be correct." The man then looks at Kate as he says, "Look, the federal government appreciates all the work you and your taskforce has done in apprehending this gang but there are bigger issues at play here. I assure you all that these guys are getting away with nothing and they will ultimately face the justice they deserve. We just need them to answer some questions that could help stop some crimes a lot bigger than just running some drugs, prostitutes or guns."

Kate holds the agent's eyes for a long moment before weighing in finally, "I'll admit that I don't like this, Agent Harmsworth, but given this authorisation from the AG and the Commissioner and as the AC authorities aren't objecting then there's not a lot I can do to stop you….."

"Captain! You can't let them….." interrupts Kent desperately but Kate silences him with a look before turning back to the DHS Agent.

"That said there are several issues regarding our ongoing investigations that Oyarzov and his people can still help us with so I would appreciate it if you would keep Agent Douglas here in the loop on your investigation," Kate requests indicating to the blond haired FBI Agent standing behind Harmsworth. "I also request that once you have them situated your facility that my Detectives are allowed access interview them so that we are able to continue with our own inquires. I promise that they will not interfere with your investigation but my people still need to speak to them and I'm not above calling in a few favours to have that happen."

"I understand that Mark Fallon has moved into a senior role at Homeland. I'm sure when the Captain here contacts him he'll be more than happy to grant her request given our past history with him," supplies Castle in support, referring to the dour DHS Agent with whom they helped avert the detonation of a dirty bomb in Manhattan years ago and how the man owes them both as a result.

Harmsworth's eyes narrow for a moment as he considers both Castle's words and Beckett's request before he reluctantly says, "Alright, I'll speak to my supervisor and get him to grant your Detectives access but only after our own investigation is concluded."

Now Kate narrows her own eyes at the man's caveat to her request but unfortunately she can't see a way around it for now so she agrees, "Ok, Agent Harmsworth. As long as we get a crack at them eventually then…," Kate pauses and gives a significant look towards Kent as she continues. "We can accept them going into your custody, for now. Though we won't wait forever and will expect timely access to them as soon as practicable."

Before Kent can interject Kate addresses their FBI liaison, "Douglas, assist Agent Harmsworth with the transfer of Oyarzov and his men into his custody and set up the arrangements for us to stay read in on his investigation."

The young agent nods he head as she answers, "Yes, Captain. If you'll follow me Agent Harmsworth I'll take you to holding and we can get started on the transfer paperwork."

Douglas opens the door to the room and indicates with her hand for the DHS Agent to proceed her out of the room.

The man looks between Kate and Douglas before turning back to Kate and saying, "Thank you Captain…I'll, uh, be in touch."

With a slightly perturbed look in his face at being forced to keep the taskforce involved in his case the DHS Agent then leaves with Douglas close behind him.

A still furious Kent turns on Kate and says, "You aren't seriously going to let them do this, Captain? For all his talk of letting us have access to Oyarzov the minute they are in some dark federal hole we'll never see them again."

"Look, Kent, I get that he gave in too easily which means he probably has no intention of keeping us in the loop but I promise you that I will not let that happen. Unfortunately, for now, with that letter from the AG and the Commissioner we have to let him take them. But rest assured that Oyarzov will not disappear into some federal black site never to be seen again, not if I have anything to do with it," Kate reassures him.

"Besides aren't you interested in how quickly Homeland has gotten involved in this?" asks Castle and again Kate is grateful for his support as he diverts Kent's anger with a very pertinent question. "We've barely had Oyarzov and his crew in custody for a couple of days before Super-Agent Harmsworth is down here with his letter. Now either the feds were already looking at Oyarzov or someone with a lot of clout contacted them the moment we arrested them and requested they take over….perhaps someone like a certain city councilwoman that Gibson, Espo and Ryan are currently looking into," Castle says with the flash of inspiration in his eyes.

Kate immediately knows where he is going with this as she says, "Zamis wouldn't have the muscle in DC for this but I'll bet whoever Gibson overheard her talking to does given how soon after that the feds showed up."

"Given the speed with which that happened there has got to be something way bigger going on here than the smuggling of some guns and, no offense, the death of your partner," says Castle apologetically to Kent.

Kate watches as Kent mulls over Castle's words while it is Kaminski that asks, "So what now?"

"Now I do as I told Agent Harmsworth,' responds Kate. "I'll get in touch with my contacts in the FBI and Homeland and make sure you guys still get a chance to have a shot at Oyarzov."

"And I'll get in touch with some of my contacts in DC and see if they can tell us how Homeland got onto this so quickly," adds Castle.

"In the meantime, you two write up your interrogation of Dundalli. Let's not forget why we are here. We've still got four murders to solve," Kate sees that Kent is about to open his mouth in protest and she holds up her hand to forestall him as she continues. "Again, I promise you Kent, that we will not drop this. You've shown that your partner's case is linked to one of ours so I'll be requesting all the materials on the case from the NJSP and making a formal notification to them that we are reopening the case. When you are done with your paperwork on the interrogation I want you to assist Gibson in looking at Zamis. See if you can find out who her mystery contact is."

Kent releases a sigh as he grateful says, "Thank you, Captain."

Kate fixes him with a serious look as she adds, "But as I said we still have four murders to solve and at this stage we are no closer to a suspect. We have to concentrate on solving our current cases. At the moment looking into Zamis intersects but we have to keep in mind the reason why we are here. To catch those responsible for the murder of four people."

Kent nods in grudging acceptance, "I understand, Captain."

"Thing is, where DO we go from here regards these murders, Kate?" Castle asks her.

"Well we've eliminated Oyarzov and his gang. Mayhew and Pritchard are looking into Liguria. That leaves Sylvie Baressi and the Baressi family from those that your CI pointed us towards. Even Oyarzov gave us information that indicated that the Baressi's could be behind this," Kate responds.

"So our next step is to look more closely at the Baressi's?" asks Kaminski.

Before Kate can respond there is a brief knock on the door again and this time it is Detective Pritchard that pokes his head inside the observation room.

Before he can speak Kate asks him "Find something on Liguria already, Detective?"

The man looks slightly confounded as he responds, "Uh, no Captain. There's a message from the front desk. Sylvie Baressi is here and asking to speak to you and Detective Castle."

* * *

 _A/N: Yet another end of chapter cliff-hanger. I considered putting the chat between our favourite couple and Sylvie Baressi in this chapter but it would make it too long and I think this is a good place to stop until the next chapter. Looks like there is also a federal bump in the road for Kent's investigation into his partner's death. We'll just have to wait and see how big a bump it is._

 _Can I also just add my own personal appreciation that we seem to be back to fun and enjoyable episodes in Season 8 now that they have done away with the whole separation arc. The last episode called back to me episodes like Vampire Weekend, He's Dead, She's Dead and Time Will Tell. I won't go into how poorly, in my opinion, the arc was handled, both the stories in the arc or how it is resolved (or lack thereof). I'm just thankful that for the remaining six episodes of the season (and perhaps of the show altogether) that we can have some Castle stories that we can hopefully enjoy without the frustration of the annoying arc created for this season. Less the resolution to the whole Loksat case that is sure to be at least one of the remaining episodes that is._

 _Anyway, thank you again to everyone that is reviewing, following, reading or making this story their favourite._


	13. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: I do_ _ **NOT**_ _own Castle._

* * *

 _ACPD Headquarters_

Kate precedes Castle into the small interview/waiting room next to the public front desk area of the ACPD Headquarters to see two people seated behind the table situated in the centre of the room. The walls of the room are covered in the usual crime prevention and police recruitment posters you would find in a thousand police stations across the country. As she sits in one of the two empty chairs on the opposite side of the table she studies the two people that are waiting for her and her husband, particularly the woman.

Sylvie Baressi is not what she expected. Oh she's not got quite the imagination of Castle but if she was expecting some flashy dressed cross between Martha Rodgers and Carmela Soprano the woman seated across from her is far from that. In fact the mid-forties, woman with straight, shoulder length black hair, in her severely cut navy blue suit jacket and with a white silk blouse underneath gives the impression of a successful business woman rather than a ruthless mob boss. The only bling that Kate can see on the woman, besides a not too large diamond ring next to a plain gold wedding band on the ring finger of one of the hands clasped together on the table in front of her, is a simple gold chain with an equally simple gold cross that is visible around her neck through the open neck of her blouse.

Beside her is an equally smartly dressed man of a similar age as Sylvie, wearing a slightly lighter blue business suit and white with blue striped shirt, with the same black hair and some similar facial features that indicates some family connection with the woman seated next to him. As Castle takes his seat next to her Kate's eyes catch Sylvie's and they have a mini starting contest with the woman regarding her with interest and confidence. Kate returns the look and there is a long pause before Castle clears his throat audibly obviously trying to get them to stop their little power play.

Still holding Sylvie's eyes, Kate asks, "So, Mrs Sylvie Baressi, I'm Captain Kate Beckett-Castle and this is Detective Ricard Castle. I understand you asked to speak with us?'

A hint of a smile appears in one corner of Sylvie's mouth as she responds with a cultured, voice with not a trace of the expected New Jersey accent, "Yes I did Captain. A pleasure to meet you and a pleasure to meet you as well Mister Castle….sorry, Detective Castle." Sylvie then indicates with a hand towards the man seated next to her before continuing, "This is my cousin and some might say right hand, George Baressi. He is also a fully accredited member of the New Jersey bar so he is also acting as my legal representation for this little chat."

"And as such my client and I would like to start this discussion with the statement that anything said here by my client is strictly off the record and no record or recordings will be made of what is discussed here today," chimes in George Baressi with a much more recognisable New Jersey twang to his voice.

Sylvie reaches over a pats Georges forearm as she says, "Now, now, Georgie. Let's not start off on the wrong foot with the good Captain and her husband already. No need to start throwing your legal weight around…yet. I'm sure Captain Beckett-Castle and I can agree that this is to be just an informal chat between a concerned citizen and two upstanding members of this county's law enforcement. Can't we Captain?"

She's got charm, Kate will give the woman that as she takes a moment to consider the mob boss' offer. It is clear that Sylvie is totally relaxed and in control but it is also clear that she wants to discuss something and it isn't a huge stretch of the imagination that she wants to discuss the reason why her, Castle and the rest of the taskforce are in Atlantic City. While she is naturally curious about what Sylvie has to tell them that's not to say she isn't going to take whatever she says with a whole truck load of salt.

Giving a small nod of her head, almost a bow, Kate eventually responds, "Alright, Mrs Baressi. We can agree to keep this little _chat_ of ours off the record. So what did you want to talk about?"

Sylvie gives her own brief bow of her head before saying, "Well, Captain, what I want to talk about is the reason that you and your taskforce are in our little gambling mecca by the sea. These murders that have garnered so much attention in the media. Although only slightly more attention than your recent take-down of some other nefarious criminals did recently."

Seeing a way to work a chink in Sylvie's armour of charm Kate says, "Not worried that you would be the next one to feature in such media coverage are we, Mrs Baressi? Is that why you are really here? To stave off any possible investigation into you or your operations?"

There is a flash of something in Sylvie's eyes at that but surprisingly for Kate the woman nods her head again slightly as she answers, "Let's just say that you and Detective's Castle's reputations precede you. While I deny that any business I conduct is in any way illegal I do not wish you to waste your time by conducting an entirely fruitless and pointless investigation into me. Any information I can supply to assist you with your current investigation into these murders and not into me is to both our advantage."

"Oh really? What sort of reputation would that be?" asks Castle eagerly from his seat next to her and she is only slightly annoyed at his interruption. Kate knows that while on the surface it seems an irrelevant questions it might actually prove useful if it will get Sylvie to open up about her contacts and network.

Playing along Sylvie flashes her straight white teeth at Castle as she answers with just a hint of flirting in her voice, "Well, Richard, may I call you Richard?" and after Castle gives an eager nod she continues "I have some friends and business contacts that know of you and your wife and what you have done over the years very well. I have even done some business with Dino Scarpella who I understand you have a particular connection with so I am well aware of you and your wife's capabilities. I don't want to seem like I'm trying to flatter you both but you have developed a reputation in certain circles. A reputation that means these circles would be somewhat concerned if you were to turn your attention towards them. Combine that with how quickly you dispatched that thug Oyarzov and his associates and it is in my best interests to assist you in any way I can."

"And you wish to stave off our attention as well, which is why you are here?" follows up Castle.

Sylvie gives a conciliatory nod at Castle's question and Kate decides that it is time to get the _chat_ back on track, "So, Sylvie," Kate decides that if she is going to flirt with her husband then they can dispense with the formality of last names, "what have you got to tell us about these murders?"

Sylvie returns her gaze back to Kate and says, "Back to business, good. Firstly, let me start by saying that I categorically deny any involvement of myself or anyone that works for me with the three murders here or the other murder in New York that got you're and your taskforce involved."

Kate cocks a sceptical eyebrow back at her as she says, "You'll excuse us if we don't take your word on that."

Sylvie just shrugs her shoulders at that, "Of course but I think you will find it a waste of time looking at me or any of my employees regarding these killings. Frankly I do not do business this way, killing people and stringing them up like that. It's so…..unsubtle."

"Are you sure about that? We've heard that you had a recent disagreement with one of our victims, Simon Harris. That you had some of you employees _discourage_ him from operating his food truck across from your casino. All part of your long standing feud with Happy Joey Liguria at the Valhalla. Are you sure you haven't been taking out some of Happy Joey's people and doing it so unsubtly to send a message to him?" counters Castle.

Sylvie shakes her head vehemently in response, "No, while I'm not surprised you've learned about my continuing disagreements with that idiot Joe Liguria I deny again that I had any involvement with these killings or that they are in any way connected to any conflict between my business and his. I will admit that a couple of security personnel from the Ace of Diamonds asked Harris to move along from operating outside my casino a week ago but that had more to do with the possible danger to my guests health from that guy's bad cooking than any connection he may have had with Liguria. In fact you surprise me by telling me that Harris still worked for Liguria because I thought Harris had cut all ties with the Valhalla but here you are telling me he hadn't….interesting."

Kate almost rolls her eyes as the falseness of Sylvie's acting towards the end there as she so obviously tries to pretend that she didn't know that Harris still worked for Liguria. However, despite the bad acting, there is a small part of her that is starting to believe the charming female mobster and that she wasn't involved in Harris' or the other's murders. Not totally, of course. She's still a suspect and for all her charm she is a criminal in Kate's mind and so they are still going to give her and her operation the attention she is so obviously trying to divert through this visit.

Now, she thinks, perhaps it's time to get to the meat of why Sylvie is here as she asks, "So, Sylvie, besides to tell us that you or your people aren't involved, why else did you come down here?"

"Not going to pin the blame on Happy Joey are you because that would be…. _unsubtle?"_ adds Castle irreverently.

Again Sylvie flashes her perfect teeth, this time at them both before responding, "I would not dream of insulting the intelligence of either of you by suggesting such a thing. I'm sure you are already looking at Liguria as a suspect so you need no help from me in that regard. No, but I do have something that I think you will find both relevant and interesting. Show them Georgie," she says out of the side of her mouth to the man next to her.

On Sylvie's instruction George Baressi unexpectedly pulls a pair of blue, latex gloves from a jacket pocket and snaps them on. Gloves now on he opens the black brief case that is resting on the table in front of him and pulls out two newspapers. He then lays out the open newspapers flat onto the table in front of them.

"Both of these were found in the mail box at my house last night. Despite the, ah, security I have in place there no one saw who put them in there and they were definitely not delivered by the US Mail. As you can see what these seem to indicate that far from being responsible for these murders I may actually be the next victim," Sylvie tells them as Kate studies the newspapers in question.

Kate looks down at two copies of New Jersey _The Daily Journal_ each of which are marked with a bright red marker of some type. On one paper, the date of which is over a year old, a small article with a by-line that reads 'Out of town couple killed during drug buy' is circled in red. On the other paper, which is a lot more recent, the headline article reporting the murder of Simon Harris which has likewise been circled in red but also has the addition of the words ' _YOU'LL ALL PAY!'_ scrawled in red block letters across the article.

Kate looks up at the woman seated across from her as Castle asks the same question she was just about to ask Sylvie, "How do we know this _threat_ is real and not something created by you to divert our attention away from you?"

"You don't, but this might help to convince you otherwise. After the first murder of Helen Nguyen I had a visit from Joe Liguria. Like you he thought that I was responsible for the death of one of his people and he brought with him a newspaper with the same threat as is on these," Sylvie Baressi answers.

George Baressi then removes another newspaper along with several photographs from his briefcase and places them over the top of the newspapers already on the table for Castle and Beckett to see.

"Fortunately, like the rest of the casino, my office has security cameras in it and these images were taken from them. They show Liguria entering my office with that same newspaper you see there and they show him throwing it onto my desk and at the time he said that Nguyen received that the day before she was killed and brought it to him. There are no microphones in my office but I assure you that he was accusing me of being responsible for Nguyen's death. Something I denied to him then just as I deny it to you both here today," Sylvie tells them.

The pictures that Kate can now see are just as Sylvie describes, showing a top down view of what must be her office in the Ace of Diamonds and also showing the scenes as the woman described them. The third newspaper is another copy of _The Daily Journal_ and is six months old from the date in the corner. Circled in red on this one is an article with the by-line 'Call-girl found dead in Longport Motel'. Underneath the article is written 'YOU'LL PAY' in thick red marker.

Kate looks up again at Sylvie and asks, sceptically, "How do we know if these images are real or that they haven't been doctored in any way? Not to mention how do we know if this really has anything to do with the murders we are investigating?"

In response George Baressi removes a small black USB drive for the brief case and places it on the table next to everything else as he says, "This is a copy of the unedited footage from the security camera in question. Have your techs go over it you'll find it hasn't been altered and that the images match to these photographs, Captain."

"As for how you know if this really has anything to do with the murders why don't you ask Frankie Dundalli who I know you currently have locked away here," Sylvie adds. Then she continues in a conspiratorial tone, "Like me Joe Liguria has his sources in this building as well so if you are going to move against him with what Dundalli has told you I would move quickly because Liguria may not stick around too much longer for you to do so. Also with killing of his people even a dunce like Liguria will have figured out by now that he may be the next one to be strung up to a pole so I wouldn't be surprised if he is not contemplating taking a trip overseas to get away from it all. In more ways than one."

Considering Sylvie's words Kate looks back down at the newspapers arrayed before her and says, "If I believe this I'm going to need take these to have our forensic people go over them but given how it looks like everyone has handled them I doubt we'll get much from them."

"Not from the one that Liguria left me, certainly. Far too many people have touched that one," admits Sylvie. "I did have one of my people who is well versed in these things give the ones I received last night the once over. He couldn't find any fingerprints or DNA on either of them but feel free to have them tested yourself. The only person who has handled them without gloves is the person who found them in my mailbox, Martin Fivalli, one of my security staff. Martin is known to your colleagues here in the ACPD and they have his fingerprints on file so you will be able to eliminate his."

"Why bring this to us?" Kate asks sitting back in her chair. "I would have thought you would handle something like this yourself? Doesn't it look bad if you just hand a threat like this over to the police?"

Again Sylvie shrugs her shoulders and gives her a faux innocent smile, "I'm just a simple law abiding citizen, Captain. If a threat is made against me shouldn't I go to the police?"

Kate gives an amused huff at that and is surprised the woman doesn't bat her eyelids at her as well to try and sell this butter wouldn't melt in her mouth routine. Then Sylvie continues, "But seriously, whoever these people are they have already killed four people. People they warned beforehand and yet were still able to do this to them. People who under normal circumstances might expect the protection of their employer would make them immune to such things. As I said you both have a reputation and I think you are the ones best suited to find this person or persons before they come for me. I may be many things, Captain, but I am not a detective and neither are my people….at lease not ones that are in the same calibre as you and your husband."

"Why are they coming for you?" asks Castle at this point. "The inference of these threats is that someone is killing people that they think is responsible for the crime in the city. From what we've been able to discover some of our victims might have been involved in some illegal activity and that they also might have had connections to Happy Joey Liguria. We've not found any connection to you, however. Are you saying that some of our victims also worked for you? And if so what connection do you have to the deaths reported here on the newspaper given to you by Liguria and on one of those you got last night?"

Sylvie shakes her head, "None of those that have been killed were in my employ so there is no connection there. I honestly don't know why I've received this threat. I am not involved in any illegal activity or to the crimes reported in these articles," Kate can't help the scoff that comes from her mouth at that denial but Sylvie continues as if she hasn't heard a thing, "I also have no connection to any nefarious business that Joe Liguria is involved with. All I can think is that whoever is murdering these people thinks that I'm in the same business as Liguria for some reason. An accusation I again deny categorically."

Kate shares a sceptical look with Castle before turning back to the mobster and saying, "Well if you are officially bringing this to our attention then we will have to open a full investigation. Put you under police protection, tap your phones, monitor your email, put people at your home, at your casino and have some of my people with you twenty-four hours a day. We'll have to delve fully into your life and your, ah, business to try and find those responsible for the threat and stop them before they carry it out."

Sylvie shakes her head and gives an ironic smile as she says, "No disrespect to you or the people on your taskforce, Captain, but I have the resources to look after myself. As Georgie here will confirm you can't compel me to go under your protection or cooperate with your investigation any more than I have already. I feel I have pointed you in the right direction. Towards the people that look to be really responsible for these murders and I have confidence that you will find them before they try anything with me. In fact I may take a page out of Joe Liguria's book and take a vacation overseas until this all blows over and you have been able to bring these people to justice."

"We will still be looking at your business, Mrs Baressi, you can't stop us from doing that because there's a good chance that your business is why you have been targeted," Kate shoots back at her.

"Feel free, Captain. All you will find is that I am Vice-President in charge of Client Services at the Ace of Diamonds casino and that is all you will find while this is going on. Plus I think you'll find it difficult to delve into my life while I'm sunning myself on a beach in the Bahamas. Now, if that's all, Georgie and I must be going. You have a lot of work to do if I'm not mistaken," and with that Sylvie Baressi starts to rise from her seat.

Her cousin quickly snaps off his latex gloves, throws them into his brief case, closes it and rises to follow her and then they both walk towards the exit.

Before they can make it out of the door, however, Castle stops them by saying, "Before you go, Mrs Baressi…," and once both Sylvie and George have stopped and turned to look back at them he continues, "Do you have any idea who might be doing this?"

Sylvie regards him for a moment before seemingly answering him frankly, "No, I don't. Otherwise I wouldn't be here."

And with that Sylvie Baressi leaves the room with her cousin close on her four inch heels.

* * *

 _A/N: So probably not the encounter people were expecting with Sylvie Baressi but it looks like the case has got some important information…or has it. Stay reading to find out._

 _Now the disaster that is the show Castle in real life at the moment. The following is a slightly altered opinion/rant that I put in the A/N of the other in progress story I have going at the moment so those reading both may see a fair bit the same in what follows. If you have already read that feel free to ignore this or also ignore it if you have no interest in my opinion of Castle at the moment._

 _I'll admit that I lost my motivation to sit down and write with all the negativity I'm feeling about the show at the moment. While I thought that there was a chance that Stana Katic might be wanting to leave the show the fact that she's been let go so unceremoniously seems to me to show an unacceptable lack of respect for her and for the fans._ _In fact, if I were to put my tin foil conspiracy theory hat on for a moment, I might suspect that the reduced screen time she had this season, her full absence from a couple of episodes and the whole separation storyline might indicate that they have been preparing to force her out like this all along._

 _Almost everything I see online says that fans are not going to watch any possible season 9 without her and I can't blame them. I'm not sure I will either. Getting rid of the Beckett character, which has driven so many of the stories over the last eight years seems to be extremely short sighted. Not to mention that we've invested all this time in the love story that is Caskett only for it to be unceremoniously thrown aside like this sort of makes the last eight years of watching them get together feel like a waste of time. Before all this I wanted a season 9 but now I think it should just end and give us the happy ending that most of us want. Continuing on without Beckett/Stana will be a show that is a hollow mockery of the show that went before and I doubt it will last long anyway._

 _For me Castle isn't Game of Thrones where GRR Martin clearly states that he is not interested in happy endings. For years we have watched Rick and Kate get together and there seemed to be an implied promise, given the inherent lightness of the show, that in the end they would be together as well. What is happening now is destroying that promise. While it is possible for them to continue to make the show without her (anything is possible in a TV writers room it just might not be plausible) it definitely won't be the same show and I'm not sure it is a show I will want to watch._

 _Then add the dumping of Tamala Jones as well and the loss of another strong female character starts to give a regrettable look of misogyny to this whole affair. All in all it just make me sad that this show that was my favourite and had inspired me to get back into writing has been reduced to this mess._

 _This is just my opinion that I've wanted to get off my chest and everyone is entitled to their own if they don't agree with it._

 _That all said once I did sit down to write again I found that I was able to lose myself in this AU world I've created and forget, for a little while, the turmoil that is happening in the real world of the canon show. In fact it turns out that the time I diverted this from canon, the end of season 7, is looking to be what many fans will consider the real end of the show. So I will continue this story if for no other reason to try and give us all some small distraction from the sadness that I feel now when I see what Castle has become._

 _Also in honour of Stana and her years playing Kate Beckett so well, from now on, unless she is not in the scene I am writing, she will be the point of view character in all future chapters of this story.#SaveCaskett_


	14. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: I do not own Castle. Except for some of the characters this work is entirely my own._

* * *

 _ACPD Headquarters – Interrogation Room_

Kate tosses the newspapers they got from Sylvie Baressi, inside their plastic evidence bags, down on the table in front of Frankie Dundalli, "What can you tell us about these, Frankie?"

The swarthy Dundalli, with his black hair sticking up in all directions due to the lack of product available in the ACPD's cells, studies the newspapers in question before replying, "Well, one of them looks like the one that Helen…Helen Nguyen, found in her mailbox one morning. The other one looks similar but I don't recognise it."

Like a lot of criminals after they have decided to talk Dundalli can't seem to keep his mouth shut now as he clearly thinks that he will only get a deal if he cooperates completely. What form that deal takes depends on both the Atlantic City DA and the information that Dundalli himself supplies so it is clear that he is going to tell them everything they need to know to try and save himself some prison time.

"The one that Helen Nguyen found. Did Joe Liguria take it to Sylvie Baressi and accuse her of being responsible for Helen's murder?" Kate pushes.

Dundalli nods his head, "Yeah, after Helen was wacked the boss thought that Sylvie had ordered it so he went to have it out with her. She denied it, of course, but the boss was sure it was her."

Kate shares a look with Castle, who is seated next to her at the table as they interrogate Dundalli. So they have confirmation from someone other than Sylvie Baressi on how she got one of the newspapers.

"What about the other victims, Brian Samuels, Natalie Collins and Simon Harris? Did they get similar threats?" asks Castle now.

"Samuels and Harris did. Both of them found them in their mailboxes one morning just like Helen did and after what happened to her they both came running to the boss screaming for protection," Dundalli tells them.

"What about Natalie Collins? Didn't she work for Liguria?" Kate asks having noticed the obvious omission by Dundalli.

This time he shake his head negatively as he responds, "Nah, she didn't work for us. Before you guys showed up in town and connected her to the other murders we hadn't even heard of her."

"But like the others she worked at the Valhalla at one time. Do you mean to say you don't at least remember her from then?" follows up Castle.

Again Dundalli shakes his head, "No. A lot of people pass through the Valhalla. You can't expect me to remember them all…" Dundalli pauses for a moment as he clearly recalls something. "Because we didn't know her the boss got me to ask around about her and the only connection I could find to the boss' business is that apparently Collins and Helen Nguyen were friends going back to when they both worked at the casino."

"Going back to Samuels and Harris. When they got their threats did Liguria give them protection?" Kate now asks wanting to find out how Samuels and Harris were killed if they were so forewarned.

Nguyen she can get because she was the first murder and they didn't know the threat was real but after she was killed surely they knew it was real. So when the other two received their red scrawled newspapers they and Liguria should have taken the threats seriously and been prepared.

"Oh, yeah, the boss gave them both protection. A couple of our boys sat on both of them morning, noon and night but they were both still taken," supplies Dundalli.

"How?" Castle asks with clear curiosity and Kate has the same curiosity in her as well.

Dundalli shrugs his shoulders but is also clearly nonplussed as he tells them, "I don't know. All I know was both of them were taken from their homes at night, the night before their bodies were found. Harris from his house and Samuels from his apartment. Two of my guys were outside both of their places but didn't see anything and the first we knew they were gone was when they both didn't answer when my guys knocked on their doors in the morning. They searched both places and besides their beds being messed up there was no sign of a struggle or of Harris or Samuels."

"Whoever took them must have done it while they slept," Castle supposes quitely and Kate nods in agreement of his suposition.

"Yes, and clearly the goons sent to guard them didn't do that good a job of keeping watch…unless they were in on it," Kate now surmises and turns her attention back to the man across the table from her.

"Could the guys you had watching actually done this?" Kate asks pointedly of Dundalli.

"Nah, it was two different guys each time and I know them all. As Chief of Security it was my job to know them and all four of them were loyal to the boss and to me. I chewed them all out after they lost both Samuels and Harris but I'm pretty sure they weren't the ones to do this," Dundalli looks a little sheepish now as he says. "I'll admit that what you said was right. My guys aren't the brightest bulbs in the chandelier so I think it was just that they screwed up rather than them being involved."

"Or it could have been Liguria himself that ordered it," supposes Castle. "You said it yourself that the men you had watching are loyal to you and to Liguria. He could have ordered them to do it and keep you in the dark for some reason. Perhaps the whole threat thing is to throw you off. Maybe you were next, Frankie."

Dundalli pales visibly for a moment at Castle's theory before shaking his head, "No, I'm sure it isn't the boss. I've known him for a long time and he's not that good of an actor and I would know if he was lying to me or behind this. Besides the boss is a lot more, ah, direct. If he wants to take you out he doesn't play games like this. He'd just go ahead and do it."

"So after Harris was killed do you and Liguria still think that Sylvie Baressi is behind it all?" Kate asks really wanting to know who the man who it seems is the true target of these murders thinks is responsible for it all.

One thing is for sure Liguria himself isn't likely to tell her. If he was he would have gotten to cops involved after Helen Nguyen's murder but given all of their links to his illegal business he couldn't. Ironic that the man is so obviously being targeted but because of his own criminality he can't go to the police for help.

"Yes and no," Dundalli hedges. "You know about the bad blood between Liguria's family and the Baressi's. Well because of that the boss will always think that anything bad that happens is because of the Baressi's but after Harris got wacked he was starting to think that there was a chance someone else was behind it."

"Why?" presses Kate.

"We both thought that this wasn't Sylvie's style. Sure she might kill our people and string them up to send a message but she also would let the boss know that it was her doing it. Especially after Samuels and Harris were both taken from right underneath us. There's no way that Sylvie wouldn't rub the boss' nose in that if she'd been responsible," Dundalli then sits back in his seat and for a hardened criminal he looks to Kate that he is being honest with them.

"Whoever it is they must know a lot about Liguria's business, all of it including the less than legal parts because they were able to identify and target Liguria's proxies. People that to the outside world looked like ordinary working citizens but someone knew they were anything but. Sylvie Baressi would know because their businesses are in competition so who else could have known?" pushes Castle.

Dundalli nods his head in agreement at Castle's words at that and then it is like a light bulb of inspiration goes off in his head as a look of realisation appears on his face and he says, "I remember now. About three months ago I found an out of town PI nosing around the Valhalla. I had couple of the boys take him into a back room for a little chat. He spun some line about how he'd been hired by some broad to follow her husband who she thought was catting around on her. Said he was staying in the hotel. There was nothing on him at the time that didn't match his story so after some…ahh….aggressive persuasion he was told to leave the hotel and not to come back."

"Let me guess, the aggressive persuasion included the breaking of some bones, most likely his fingers?" surmises Kate showing that she won't be prevaricated with by this man.

Dundalli grimaces and he admits, "Yeah, that's pretty much how it went but the reason I remember this now is that even after we threw him out I could swear I saw him a couple more times after that and it wasn't at the casino. One time when the boss was meeting with Helen and another was a time I met a delivery of product from one of our suppliers. It was only those two times and I couldn't be sure it was him because he bolted the moment I or any of my guys looked like going near him. After the second time I didn't see him again and I forgot about it, until now."

"So when you pulled this PI in for your 'aggressive persuasion' did you get a name?" asks Kate.

"Yeah, the guy's name was, Doug Rainey from Boston."

* * *

 _Conference Room – several hours later_

"Thank you, Sergeant Korsak," and with that Kate hangs her cell phone.

She turns around to look down at Castle who is seated at the conference room table from which he has been listening to her side of the phone conversation as she stood nearby. A couple of the other members of the taskforce are likewise seated around the table and are busy with their own tasks.

"What did Boston PD have to say?" Castle asks her but before she can answer she spots both Kaminski and Kent entering the room and she signals them with a wave of her hand to join them.

Once the two men are standing next to the seated Castle she says for their benefit, "I just got off the phone with our friends in Boston. According to them Doug Rainey is gone. The landlord of the office building where he had his PI office told them he ended his lease a month ago and moved all his stuff out. Likewise when they visited his apartment he wasn't there and his neighbours say they haven't seen him for about the same amount of time."

"Was Rainey known to Boston PD?" asks Kaminski.

Kate nods as she responds, "Yes. He's one of theirs, an ex-cop. He retired a couple of years ago after finishing his twenty and then started the PI business. According to them he did the usual jobs PI does, background checks, following cheating spouses, that sort of thing but nothing big. Nothing like tailing mobsters in Atlantic City."

"Did they know why he might have been in Atlantic City, at the Valhalla and following Liguria's guys around three months ago?" asks Castle.

"No, the Detective Sergeant I spoke to sort of remembers Rainey from his time on the force. Said he didn't have many friends except for one old partner that is still on the job and he stayed in touch with. He spoke to him for us to see if he knows where Rainey is and why he was in Atlantic City but his old partner doesn't know. The one thing the partner was able to tell was that Rainey had been having a tough time over the past year. Apparently his daughter died back then and this friend of his said he's been struggling ever since. His wife divorced him years ago and moved to Seattle so there is no one else that Boston PD could find that might know where Rainey is and with him gone no records of why he was in Atlantic City three months ago," Kate tells them.

She then looks over Castle's shoulder towards where Tory and Douglas are seated side by side at the conference table each working away at laptops and she says to their FBI liaison, "Douglas, any luck tracing Rainey from his credit card activity and other financials?"

The dirty blond haired woman looks up from her computer and says, "Nothing so far, Captain. All activities on his credit cards ceased a month ago and at the same time he cleared out both his personal and the business accounts for his PI business of all his savings and cash reserves."

"What about the LUDs on his cell phone and the landlines at his home and business, Tory?" she asks of their tech analyst seated next to Douglas.

"Same, ma'am. Everything just stopped a month ago and I'm not currently able to trace any signal from his cell phone, GPS or otherwise. If I'd have to guess I'd say he's ditched it and is using a burner," the olive skinned, dark haired woman tells her.

At that Castle gets up from his seat and goes to stand behind the two women and as he leans over their shoulders to look at their respective screens he asks, "What about three months ago when he was supposedly in Atlantic City? What do his phones and financials show then?"

Both women tap away at their screens and Kate, with Kent and Kaminski close behind walk around to join Castle standing behind the women. As she stands next to her husband she sees for herself a number of transactions on Douglas' screen at a motel and other businesses that show Rainey was indeed in Atlantic City three months ago.

"Well, his financials confirm he was in town when Dundalli said he was," she says.

Meanwhile, Castle is leaning over Tory's shoulder and is running his finger down the screen at the list of phone numbers displayed there. His finger stops on one number and he says over his shoulder at them, "There is one number here that he called a lot during the time his financials put him in Atlantic City. Tory, could you run it? See who it belongs too?"

The woman nods her head and after a few more taps of on her keyboard a box appears on the screen with the information Castle asked for and Tory reads it out for those around her, "The number is a cell phone registered to a Marcus Walsh with a billing address in Salem, Massachusetts."

Kate turns to one of the men behind her and orders, "Kaminski, see what you can find out about this Marcus Walsh." As the Connecticut Detective nods his head and moves away to follow her command Kate turns back to the women seated in front of her. "Douglas, likewise I want you to get in touch with your federal colleagues and see what you can find out about both Doug Rainey and Marcus Walsh."

Before Kate can give any further instructions to Tory, however, the analyst who had been taping away at her keyboard as Kate was speaking, says, "Captain, I've had a look at the LUDs for Marcus Walsh's cell phone and just like Rainey's all activity ceased on it a month ago."

"What's the bet that when Kaminski looks at Walsh's financials he finds that there's no activity there for a month and that he cleared out his accounts then as well," says Castle to her as she stands back up.

Kate looks at him and nods in agreement with him, "Yeah I'd say that would be a pretty safe bet, Castle."

"So are we saying that these two guys are our suspects now?" asks Kent from behind her.

Kate turns to face him and she shrugs her shoulders as she responds, "Their definitely persons of interest. I'm not saying that I believe all that Sylvie Baressi told us but so far everything she's said has panned out and it's led us to these two guys so we have to look into them."

"Besides we know that there are two perpetrators committing these murders so it could be these two men," says Castle in support next to her.

Kent ducks his head and rubs the back of his neck for a moment before looking up at Kate again and asking, "Captain, I know we've got these murders to solve but what about my partner's case and the connection to Oyarzov and his people? Are we letting that go?"

Kate shakes her head negatively as she responds, "No, we're not letting that go. I spoke with the Commissioner earlier and he confirmed agreeing with the request to release the Russians into Homeland's custody. He said that they put a case to him that the feds suspect Oyarzov of having overseas backers that have links to terrorism, just like we thought they would. With that argument the Commissioner had to agree but he did say that he is going to bat for us with the feds to that we can retain access to Oyarzov. You should still be able to question him about his link to your partner's case. Solving these murders does have priority though so if a new lead comes up in regards to them we have to follow that. Then again we haven't ruled out Councilwoman Zamis' involvement yet. What have you and Gibson been able to find out?"

"Gibson, Esposito and Ryan are still following her," supplies Kent. "I've been doing some digging into her background. On the surface she looks clean. Just a couple of minor charges when she was in college, nothing serious. One of the most remarkable things I can find is how quickly her profile has risen in the press since she joined the city council. Being a councilwoman in Atlantic City wouldn't exactly get you a particularly high profile with the media but she certainly has one. It seems to me that the reason they are already talking about her making the move to state or even federal politics is because of her media profile."

"You said her profile was one of the most remarkable things, what was another?" Kate asks him.

"Well, I checked her reported campaign finances and again for a city councilwoman in Atlantic City she has garnered significant funding for her campaign and a lot of it is surprisingly from sources outside of the city. Again not something you would expect from a local councilwoman," Kent tells them.

"What kind of sources are we talking about?" asks Castle.

"There is money from some big donors from all over the country, mostly linked to her party. There is even some money from some Super PACs that are known to donate to candidates from Zamis' party but more usually on the state and federal level. Very out of the norm for a local candidate like Zamis. She should be getting money from local donors and not that much of it at that yet she has a campaign that is as well funded as some congressmen and from sources from all over the country. All in all it paints a picture of Zamis having some significant players behind her. More so than you'd expect for an Atlantic City Councilwoman in just her second term," surmises Kent.

Kate nods in agreement and after sharing a significant look with Castle before saying, "Follow the money, Kent, particularly those Super PACs. Castle and I have some experience with how money from less than legitimate sources can be used to fund a political campaign. If you find out where her money is coming from you might find out who her backers are."

"That is if her backers were responsible for getting the feds to take Oyarzov away from us," raises Castle.

"Oh, I think we can say that, bro," says the voice of Esposito from the doorway of the room as the Hispanic detective walks holding up a small digital recorder in his hands.

As Esposito joins them he continues, "Zamis is at home for the evening and Gibson and Ryan are sitting on her but I thought you'd want to hear the latest phone call we recorded. All thanks to Tory's wizardry at being able to find the number of Zamis' burner phone and the warrant that Castle's judge friend granted for us."

He then presses the play button on digital recorder and holds it up for them all to hear.

" _I wasn't expecting to hear from you again so soon. I thought we were to suspend contact for the immediate future?"_ comes the voice of Councilwoman Zamis from the recorder.

 _"_ _This will be the last communication we will have for some time I just wanted to tell you that the Oyarzov matter is handled. I have made sure he is now out of the hands of the Special Investigation Taskforce and will remain so for the foreseeable future. There is no need for you to be concerned with him anymore,"_ says an unknown male voice on the other end of the line.

" _Thank you,_ " responds the relieved voice of Zamis before she asks, " _When will I hear from you again?"_

" _Not for some time. Not until this has all had a chance to settle. Until then continue as you have been, performing your role as the contentious representative of the people that you are known to be. When the time is right I will contact you again,"_ the voice says.

 _"_ _Understood,"_ responds Zamis and there is the distinct sound of the call disconnecting.

As Esposito turns off the recorder Kent says, "So Zamis and the people behind her are responsible for the feds taking Oyarzov away."

"Whoever that mystery voice is on the other end of the line they must have some serious connections to arrange for the feds to do their work for them like that," supposes Castle.

Kate nods in agreement with his words and asks Esposito, "Check the number that call came from. My guess is it will probably be a burner as well but you never know. You might be able to find something to identify the mystery caller."

"On it," responds Esposito and he leaves them to carry out Kate's order.

As their friend leaves Detective Mayhew walks into the conference room and over to them with a triumphant look on his face as he declares, "Captain, we've got him!"

"You've found enough evidence to bring in Joey Liguria?" Castle asks from beside her.

Mayhew nods emphatically, "Yep, thanks to info Dundalli gave us I've been able identify several bank accounts both here and overseas with suspicious transaction histories. Those accounts all have money flowing in and out of them constantly and some payments have been made directly to companies that are known fronts for organised crime. Some other payments are from some legitimate businesses here in the city. Pritchard and I have spoken to a few of them. Most of them gave us a line that the payments were part of their normal business dealings but one of them, the owner of a dry cleaning business not far from the casino, is angry. Angry enough to admit that the money he deposited in one of the accounts was both protection money he was paying Liguria and a 'finder's fee' for the Valhalla to send business his way."

"Can you link the accounts to Liguria or the Valhalla other than from the word of this one business owner?" Kate asks the excited ACPD Detective.

This time Mayhew's enthusiasm dulls slightly, "Uh, no, but with this guy's testimony and what Dundalli has told us I think we have enough to bring him in and ask him some questions."

Kate's not so sure about that and is about to tell Mayhew that when surprisingly Castle speaks up in support of the Detective, "Actually Kate, I think it is time we have another talk with Liguria. Given all information we've found out about the murders and his people being targets. In fact I wouldn't be surprised, given the threat to Sylvie Baressi, if Liguria wasn't a target now himself if he isn't responsible himself. Add what Detective Mayhew has found and I think we have more than enough to warrant speaking to Liguria again."

Kate looks between Castle, Mayhew and Kent before saying, "Ok, let's go talk to 'Happy Joey'."

They all start heading towards the door of the conference room when Detective Pritchard comes hurrying into the room, stopping them in their tracks as he announces quickly, "I just heard from the guys we have watching the Valhalla in case Liguria decides to bolt. They just saw him get into an SUV with a couple of his guys and a whole heap of luggage."

"Looks like he's running," supposes Kent.

"Are your guys following him?" Kate asks Pritchard.

The Detective nods, "Yeah, looks like he's headed to the airport."

"Ok, then we better try and catch him there," Kate then says directly to Pritchard. "Get onto the airport and see if you can find out what flight he is leaving on. Whether it is a private or commercial flight I want them to delay its departure. Also get the ACPD units you've got stationed at or near the airport to get into position to detain Liguria when he arrives." She then says to the rest of the men around her, "Come on."

With that she leads the three men out of the room and the station and ultimately into their cars parked in front of the station. She and Castle into hers and Kent and Mayhew into the ACPD Detective's cruiser.

Kate and Castle don't speak as she drives them towards the airport but the silence is soon broken by the radio in the console of her cruiser squawking into life. Tuned to the ACPD's band that it is she hears the call comes from the detectives that she supposes are following Liguria.

" _This is Tango Five Three, we have lost visual with target Liguria's vehicle!"_

* * *

 _A/N: There you have it. The story's moving now and yes yet another cliff-hanger. Thank you all again for reading this story and your kind and encouraging reviews. Concentrating on writing and the response it gets from the readers helps me feel better about Castle despite the grim future that appears to await us._


	15. Chapter 15

_Disclaimer: I do not own Castle at all._

* * *

 _A backstreet near the Atlantic City International Airport_

Kate leaps from her cruiser and she can both hear and sense Castle is right behind her as she strides forward surveying the scene before her. After the disconcerting call from the ACPD Detectives who were trailing 'Happy Joey' Liguria that they had lost the mobster, the word had immediately gone out, courtesy of Detective Mayhew, for all units to be on the lookout for Liguria and his black SUV.

Surprisingly the call came in not too much later that Liguria's vehicle had been found again and the manner in which it was reacquired was probably the most surprising and disturbing aspect of it all. At least one 911 call had been received reporting a car accident and gun shots in a backstreet not far from where the ACPD Detectives had lost Liguria. As they were the closest the Detectives in question had responded and, upon arriving at the scene, had radioed that one of the vehicles involved was Liguria's and that urgent medical assistance was required.

Now as Kate's boots crunch on the broken glass strewn across asphalt she can see for herself the smashed and shot-up remains of the black Suburban SUV that is Joe Liguria's the front of which is crumpled into the back of a delivery truck that is parked on the side of the street. As she and Castle walk closer they are in time to see a man being loaded into the back of one of two responding ambulances, their red and white strobe lights flashing in the early evening dark along with the red and blue flashing lights of a couple ACPD cruisers.

Spotting Detective Mayhew, who had only arrived at the scene moments before her, she sees that he is talking to another man who she suspects is one of the Detectives that was following Liguria and was first on the scene and so she heads towards him. Passing the wrecked SUV she observes a latex glove wearing Kent who is looking over the interior of the smashed vehicle with a flashlight. As she passes she casts an interested look at what she can see beyond her team member and in the light he is playing over the inside of the vehicle.

Besides the damage to the front caused by the collision with the stationary van there are crumpled and paint filled scratches in the panels along the side of the truck indicating to her experienced eye that another vehicle impacted the side of the SUV several times. The logical conclusion she reaches is that someone forced Liguria's SUV off the road.

That is not all her passing inspection sees. The windshield and the driver's window are pierced with numerous bullet holes. Both the front and rear doors are wide open and there is a lot of blood inside the vehicle both in the front and back. Also one occupant of the SUV is still in front passenger seat waiting for the arrival of the ME as the big, darkhaired man she can see slumped there is clearly dead.

Beside her she hears a low whistle from Castle before he comments, "Gee, what a bloodbath."

Kate is unable to add her own comment at the dramatic scene as they have now joined Mayhew and the other man and so she asks the local Detective, "What happened?"

Mayhew looks at her and responds with just a hint of shock and indicating towards the mid-thirties, dark haired man in a brown suit standing next to him, "Uh, looks like Joe Liguria's been kidnapped, Captain. This is Detective Spanos he was one of the Detectives tailing Liguria and he and his partner were first on the scene. I'll let him tell you what they found."

Kate nods in acceptance and then looks with anticipation and other Detective and the man takes a breath before telling his story, "Well, Captain, Detective Clifton, my partner, and I were tailing Liguria from the Valhalla when we lost him about a block from here…."

"How did you lose him, Detective?" asks Castle and Kate admits she is curious about that fact herself.

The man looks embarrassed as he admits, "He…uh…lost us at a set of traffic lights. Blew straight through a red and we weren't able to follow because of the cross traffic. By the time we were able get through he was gone. Then as we were trying to pick him up again not tem minutes later we got the call that lead us to this mess," Spanos then indicates with a wave of is arm towards the carnage at the side of the street.

"What did you find when you arrived, Detective?" Kate pushes wanting the man to tell his story as quickly as possible.

"Well, as you can see it looks like Liguria and his guys were shot at and run off the road. When we got here there was one guy dead, two others wounded and no sign of Liguria. Both the wounded guys, Liguria's driver and another guy in the street, are in a bad way," Spanos then indicates over his shoulder towards where a woman in a dark blue pants suit is talking to a man in grease covered overalls.

"My partner is getting the statement of the guy who made the 911 call and saw the whole thing. He works in a mechanical repair shop just across the street there. He tells of how he heard several gunshots soon followed by a crash. He came out to look in time to see two masked guys get out of a dark SUV and unload with automatic weapons on the front of Liguria's taking out the two guys in the front. While he got on his cell and called 911, the guys that shot up the SUV then dragged Liguria, who our witness thinks was still alive but injured, out of the back of his truck and into theirs. They had just finished putting Liguria in the back of their own vehicle when Liguria's driver, who isn't dead but badly wounded, was able to get a couple of shots off hitting one of the attackers. The guy the driver hit went down in the street and the other guy went to help him but the driver kept shooting at him and then the witness heard sirens approaching so the other guy jumped in their SUV and drove off," Spanos tells them.

"So he just left his buddy behind?" asks Mayhew.

"Yeah, both he and the driver are in a bad way," at that moment the sirens from both ambulances wail into life as they move off, departing the scene clearly with the two wounded men in question inside.

As they watch the ambulances leave Kate then notices that an ACPD CSI unit has arrived and Kent is directing one of the dark blue coverall wearing techs towards something in the back of the SUV. Her curiosity peaked she leaves the two ACPD Detectives and with Castle in tow makes her way over to the crashed vehicle.

After taking some quick photos of the interior of the SUV the blond, female tech then leans in just as she and Castle join Kent beside the vehicle and she asks, "Find something, Kent?"

Kent glances at her before responding, "Yes, ma'am."

But before he can elaborate further the tech is leaning back out of the SUV with something in a large plastic evidence bag. Kate immediately sees what is in the bag and taking a step forward asks the tech, "May I?"

The tech nods and hands over the bag. Inside Kate finds a copy of _The Daily Journal_ and scrawled on it in broad red marker are the words, ' _YOU'RE NEXT.'_

* * *

 _Shore Memorial Hospital – Egg Harbour, Atlantic City_

"How soon before we will be able to speak to him, doctor?" asks Kate of the fiftyish man in scrubs as they stand in the hallway just outside the hospital's ICU. The doctor has just given her and Castle an update on the conditions of both Joe Liguria's driver and the man that attacked Liguria's SUV.

The driver is in critical condition after having received two gunshot wounds in addition to the injuries he suffered when the SUV he was driving was run off the road. He has a good chance of surviving but is currently in surgery and will likely be so for some time.

Their as yet unidentified suspect is not in quite as bad shape mainly thanks to the vest he'd been wearing under his black clothing. He hadn't gotten away with just bruising however because Liguria's driver had shot him with some highly illegal armour piercing bullets. As a result while the Kevlar plate in the back of the vest had saved the man from death the bullets had still penetrated, one of them as the doctor had just finished telling them, quite close to his spine.

The grey and black haired doctor responds with a heavy sigh as he clearly prepares himself for an argument with her, "Captain, I'm afraid that won't be possible for some time. We are prepping him for surgery now and after that he's likely to be unconscious for quite a while as he recovers."

"Doctor, this man was shot during a successful kidnaping of another man. It is our belief that this man's partner has no intention of keeping their abductee alive for very long so we have to speak to him now. He may be the only person that knows where our victim is and if we can't talk to him a man will lose his life. Let us talk to him before he goes into surgery so that we can save a life, please," Kate pleads of the physician hoping that she hasn't overplayed the 'save a life' card too much.

The doctor, Doctor McDonald as he'd introduced himself earlier, considers her words for a long moment before giving a resigned sigh and saying, "Alright I'll let you talk to him before he goes into surgery but I can only allow you ten minutes, fifteen tops. You're just lucky that neither of his wounds are life threatening otherwise there'd be no time to waste."

"Thank you, doctor. I appreciate it," she thanks the man sincerely, relieved that he has agreed.

"I better just go check on him first and see that he is in a condition able for you to talk to him. I'll come get you when he is ready. Ok, Captain?" Doctor McDonald asks.

Kate isn't sure she likes the little caveat the doctor has added about their suspect's condition but not wanting to get the man offside now that he has agreed to her request she answers amicably, "Of course. We'll wait right here for you and thank you again."

With that Doctor McDonald gives her a curt nod before turning and pushing his way through the nearby double doors into the ICU. As the doctor departs Kaminski, Douglas, Esposito, Mayhew and Ryan join her and Castle and the Connecticut Detective looks to like he has some important information to share. She's called as many of her team here, to the hospital, to assist her and Detective Mayhew with trying to identify Liguria's unknown kidnapper and to start coordination of the search for the missing mobster. She's left Gibson watching Councilwoman Zamis and Kent is still at the sight of Liguria's abduction overseeing the collection of evidence by the CSI techs.

"Skip," declares Kaminski. "I know who our suspect is."

"How?" asks Castle. "He had no ID on him when they brought him in and we haven't had a chance to see him yet."

"Just before this you had me looking into Marcus Walsh, the guy whose phone Doug Rainey called when he was in town," Kaminski holds up his cell phone and on it is displayed a picture clearly from a DMV photo of a late forties looking man with light brown, almost blond hair. "After getting a description from the paramedic that brought in the guy that Liguria's driver shot I showed him this picture of Walsh and he confirmed it's the same guy."

"So there's a good chance that the guy that got away with Liguria is Rainey," surmises Castle.

"More than a good chance because what of Kaminski and I found out about both Rainey and Walsh," adds Douglas.

"What did you find?" Kate asks them both.

It is Kaminski that speaks up first saying to Kate, "When you spoke to Boston PD they mentioned that Rainey's daughter died about a year ago. Well it turns out that Walsh had a son that died at the same time and they both died here together in Atlantic City."

Douglas takes up the story at this point, "Turns out that Walsh's son, Todd aged twenty-two and Rainey's daughter, Jane of the same age, were boyfriend and girlfriend. They were high school sweethearts and were in Atlantic City on a weekend getaway with some friends when they were killed in a bar just down the boardwalk from the major casinos."

Mayhew interjects at this point, "Yeah, I remember that case. It was a bad one. The poor kids got caught in the crossfire of a drug deal that went bad. We didn't find any connection between them and what went down in the bar. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Kate," exclaims Castle. "Remember on one of the newspapers left for Sylvie Baressi? There was an article highlighted about an out of town couple that was killed during a drug buy. That article has to be about Walsh and Rainey's kids. I think we are looking at a pair of aggrieved fathers that are taking revenge for the death of their children. Something I can understand and sympathise with if not condone."

"I might get how Rainey as a former cop and PI might have the capability to do this but what about Walsh?" Deciding to start killing people involved in organised crime is not something your average person is going to just decide to do or be capable of even if they do fantasise about doing it. What's Walsh's background?" asks Kate of Kaminski.

"He's a locksmith in Salem so that might explain how he and Rainey were able to break into the victim's places to grab them. Especially seeing that according to Salem PD Walsh has a bit of a rep for being a locksmith that doesn't always work locks with the owner's permission. In fact they suspect Walsh of being responsible for quite a few of the B&E's in town but they haven't been able to pin anything on him. He's too careful and they suspect he has connections with a couple of the bigger criminal outfits in Boston that help in protecting him and moving his scores. One thing is that he's never shown any history of violence before. In fact Salem PD consider him a DHC, Decent Honourable Criminal, no threat to you physically just to your belongings if you happen to be out of town. All of this is a bit out of the ordinary for him," supplies Kaminski.

"Not for a father looking to avenge his child," adds Castle grimly. "But that aside looks like there was a bit of a Romeo and Juliet thing going with Todd and Jane. Daughter of a cop involved with the son of a thief. I'm surprised the fathers are able to work together like they have been. Then again as I said a father will do anything for their children even if it means working with the enemy. Also Walsh's connections in the criminal underworld might also explain how they were able to get onto Liguria's operation."

"But why target Joe Liguria's people and then Liguria and Sylvie Baressi themselves? Were they involved in the drug buy at the bar where the couple were killed?" asks Ryan of the ACPD Detective in their group.

"We couldn't prove it at the time because both the guys involved in the buy killed each other along with the couple but we did suspect at least one of them of being connected to Liguria….." there is a pause as Mayhew recalls something. "Wait, when we were going through the background of the murder victims we discovered that Brian Samuels, the second vic, was at that bar at the time of the drug buy. We did look at his presence there as a possible motive for his murder. Maybe someone was wanting to clear up witnesses but Helen Nguyen wasn't there so we discounted that theory. At the time we had no idea of his connection with Liguria or his side business pushing drugs so we just put him down as an innocent bystander. Now it's probable that he was part of the buy."

"And maybe Rainey and Walsh figured that out and that's how they knew to go after Liguria's operation," supposes Esposito.

"It still doesn't explain why they sent that threat to Sylvie Baressi?" ponders Kate.

"If we accept that these murders were done by these men as revenge for the death of their children then they must obviously blame the criminal elements here in Atlantic City for their deaths. What could have started as a vendetta specifically against Liguria and his operation might have devolved into a general crusade against all organised crime in the city. Understandable for Rainey the ex-cop, maybe not so much for the thief Walsh but if what Kaminski said is true and he isn't normally violent then he might see the criminals here in Atlantic City as having broken some personal code he has on top of being responsible for killing his son. That or they did it as a way to divert attention away from their main target, Liguria himself," suggests Castle.

Seeing where her husband is going she nods in agreement and says, "You could be right, Castle. With all the attention the murders have been generating, due in no small part to the obvious message they are trying to send to Liguria and his like, they must have known that they couldn't keep doing this indefinitely. At the very least their targets are going to get wise and either beef up security too much or leave town so that they would lose their access to them."

"Yes," agrees Castle as he faces her. "And with Liguria so obviously doing a bolt they had to act fast which is why we they took him so overtly. All the other victims were taken quietly, sometimes right under the noses of Liguria's soldiers, but Liguria's kidnapping was a mess by comparison."

"And with having to take Liguria so messily, not to mention losing his partner, Rainey isn't likely to keep Liguria for long so we haven't got much time to find them before Rainey kills him if he hasn't already," Kate posits back at him only partly aware of everyone else watching this familiar back and forth between her and her husband.

"So the sooner we get to talk to Walsh the better but a longstanding criminal like Walsh is unlikely to talk. What else can we do to try and find Rainey?" asks Mayhew.

At that Esposito holds up the clear plastic evidence bag he is holding, "There wasn't much in Walsh's effects. No credit card or ID just some cash but there is a cell phone. It looks to be a burner but maybe Tory can find something."

Kate nods at that and says, "Ok Espo, get that back to her at the station straight away. We are on the clock here."

Esposito nods quickly in reply and walks off just as Kate hears the voice of Doctor McDonald behind her say, "Captain Beckett-Castle, I'm able to take you back to speak with the patient now."

Moments later she, along with Castle, Mayhew and a hovering Doctor McDonald are standing next to the gurney where Marcus Walsh is lying on his belly, his face turned to one side and squished against the pale blue hospital pillow. The man is plainly still in some pain given the sweat pouring from his brow and the grimace on his face even despite the anaesthetics that he's been administered with.

Leaning down so that she can look Walsh in the eye she says, "Marcus Walsh, I'm Captain Beckett-Castle of the Special Investigations Taskforce. I have just one question for you. Where is Joe Liguria?"

Looking in his eyes as Kate is she easily spots the flash of hatred that appears in them as he grits out through the pain, "I'm not saying."

"Mr Walsh, someone like Liguria isn't worth this. We know about Todd and Jane. You and Rainey have already have enough blood on your hands in taking your revenge for your children. There is no need to add Liguria's blood to them as well. Tell us where he is?" she asks of him again keeping her voice reasonable.

Walsh just grimaces even more and shakes his head negatively as much as his current posture will allow.

Castle leans in at this point and says, "Look Marcus, I get that Liguria is responsible for taking your son away from you and Rainey's daughter away from him. Believe me when I say, as a father myself, I understand. A few years ago someone kidnapped my daughter and while I was able to bring her home at the time there also wasn't anything I wouldn't do to get her back."

Kate watches as her husband pauses and shudder goes through his body as he continues, "To this day I still have nightmares about that time and what could have been if I hadn't gotten her back and what I would have done, what I would have become, if I lost her. It would not have been pretty and it would not have been me. Then I think what my daughter would think of me, how ashamed of me that she'd be, if she knew of the horrible things I'd considered," Castle pauses again and spares a glance at her before going on, "and that I did do when she was taken. Just like I expect that everything you have done to this point is not really you. Don't make things worse. Think of what your son thought of you and how he might react to what you are doing now. Is all this what he would want you to do in his name? Tell us where Liguria is before it's too late."

As Walsh obviously considers Castle's words Kate ponders them herself as she too well remembers that terrible time when Alexis was kidnapped. Before then she really hadn't appreciated the full extent of what Castle was prepared to do for his daughter. Oh, she knows he's a great dad, one of the best she's ever seen and that he loves Alexis as deeply as is possible for anyone to love their child but she hadn't really considered how far the seemingly jovial and carefree man would go for his child or, in fact, for all the people he loves. However, as she stood outside that bedroom back then and listened to the cries of pain from the suspect that Castle was 'talking' to, trying to find Alexis' location, she truly experienced what her Castle would do in defence of those he loves.

Another thing she remembers from that time is that she doesn't think she's felt any more helpless or heartbroken as she watched the man she loves struggling with the sense of loss and grief at the taking of his beloved daughter. She'd also felt particularly helpless, frustrated and fearful for his and Alexis' safety when he was halfway around the world in Paris effecting Alexis' escape while she was stuck back in New York. It was because of that frustration and fear for two people that mean the world to her that Kate herself had become more than a little aggressive with that girlfriend of one of their suspects while interrogating her.

So she can, like Castle, understand where Walsh's need for revenge comes from. From the love he has for his son just as her actions in that interrogation room came from her love for Castle and Alexis. It is true that wonderful things come from love but sometimes terrible things can come from it as well. It is something she regrettably sees in her work more often than she'd like. She just hopes that Castle's appeal to the man's memory of that same son's love will also help them here and let Walsh see that this revenge is not the way. Not what his son would want.

As she watches Walsh, waiting for his response, she can see his breathing is starting to even out and less of a pained expression is on his face so she surmises that the pain meds and anaesthetic are starting to kick in. It also means that they don't have much time before the man is wheeled away to surgery so she gives their appeal one more go.

"Mr Walsh…. Marcus, think of Todd. Think of what he would want and how he would feel about this and tell us where Liguria is," she appeals to him.

It takes a moment and Kate sees a tear escape Walsh's eye as she screws them shut for a moment before he lets out a long breath and croaks out, "Ok, I'll tell you."

* * *

 _A/N:_ Exciting enough for you yet? We're really moving now so hang on for the ride.

Thank you to everyone for sticking with this story in these dark times.


	16. Chapter 16

_Disclaimer: I do not own Castle though I wonder if I had enough money whether I could buy it now?_

* * *

 _The Ocean View Casino – Atlantic City – late evening_

Kate, gun drawn and wearing her blue bullet proof vest, steps carefully into the dirty and derelict lobby of the abandoned _Ocean View Casino_. Behind her she hears a multitude of steps as the small army of officers from the ACPD and her own taskforce follow her into the building. One set of footsteps stop very close to her and she does not have to look around from her scanning of the surrounding area to know that Castle has moved to her side.

They have come here to the _Ocean View_ at the word of Marcus Walsh who is likely in surgery as they start their search for his partner, Doug Rainey, and his captive, Joe Liguria. The _Ocean View_ has been closed for over a year, going bankrupt as a result of the general economic malaise in Atlantic City after the downturn in the economy. The large white concrete edifice has been slated for demolition for months now. In the meantime it has stood idle behind temporary fencing with its interior gutted of all furnishings and fixtures that could be sold by the banks in attempt to get some of their money back.

Seeing nothing in the empty, graffiti covered walls of the lobby she looks around at the ACPD SWAT team, detectives and uniforms, along with all the members of her team, as they group behind her. Time is short. Walsh told them that the plan has always been for Rainey to bring Liguria here, to the derelict casino to string the mobster up and kill him just like their other victims. No doubt they though it ironic killing the casino manager in a defunct casino.

Normally they would thoroughly study the floor plans of the building and devise a safe and careful plan to search the building but they don't have the time. They don't have the time to throw up a perimeter, get K9 units to search the place and have the SWAT team for a slow and methodical, room by room search. While they are still setting up such an operation Rainey will most likely be killing Liguria. Especially given the overt nature of Liguria's abduction, not to mention losing his partner in the attempt, Rainey will likely, like them, think he has very little time and that he has to kill Liguria as quickly as possible.

Therefore, upon arriving here, they have all only made quick inspections of the plans and done a rough assigning of search areas for everyone before heading in. Unfortunately they were unable to find out from Walsh where exactly in the building that Rainey intends to do the deed because the man claimed he didn't know, only that it would happen here.

Turning to the group of officers around her she says, "Ok, people, we don't have much time. Pair up and start searching as we discussed. If you find Rainey and Liguria, radio your location immediately but do not engage the suspect unless it looks like his captive's life is in danger. We'll try to contain him and talk him down."

"And remember to focus on areas that have exposed support pillars or other features that a body could be tied upright too," adds Castle seriously from next to her.

There are collective nods from everyone and the group breaks up heading in different directions. As they pass her the members of her team, Esposito, Ryan, Kaminski, Kent, Douglas and Gibson, they all give her their own nods of acknowledgment.

She watches them leave the lobby and then turns to Castle and gives him a look which he returns and just that little supporting look from him helps to quell the natural nerves she has and he says, "Shall we, Kate?"

She gives him a small, grateful smile and then with her own determined nod they head out of the lobby and into the vast empty area beyond that was the main gamming floor. They make their way forward both with their guns and flashlights in their hands before them. On either side she sees Kent and Kaminski and Douglas and Gibson joining them in the sweep of the floor.

The area is just a huge empty space with just a dirty, dusty, trash strewn carpet on the floor. All the gaming tables and machines are gone with only impressions in the carpet showing where they once stood. Exposed wires hang from several points in the ceiling where she suspects that the casino's surveillance cameras have been removed. In fact the only things that give an indication of what used to occur in this space when it was a casino are a few signs hanging from the ceiling declaring the games that people once tried their luck with, such as 'Blackjack'. The whole atmosphere of the place combined with some faded, ripped and graffiti scrawled posters on the walls advertising the acts that used to perform when the casino was in business, just gives the impression of a sad place once full of fake glitz that met an equally sad end.

As she and Castle, flanked by the others, make their way across the floor she sees the lights from the flashlights of the other officers as they spread out on their search of the other areas of the building. Together she and her husband play their lights over the support pillars that populate the room but they see no sign of their suspect or, thankfully, of the body of Joe Liguria tied to one of them.

Once they are on the other side of the room, with no sight of their quarry, they head towards a door next to what was the cashier's cage that still has an 'Employee's Only' sign on it while the others head off to search other areas as well. With her covering the door Castle opens it and seeing, over the sight of her Glock, just an empty corridor beyond she moves forward with Castle on her heels.

With their guns and flashlights still up they walk down the corridor towards they next location that is their responsibility to search. It had been Castle that suggested they try the former casino manager's office after they have cleared the gaming floor. His reasoning had been that given Liguria's similar position at the _Valhalla_ that it might make sense that Rainey would take him there to execute him.

They round a corner in the corridor and the office in question comes into sight at the end of it when a loud scream of pain from a man pierces the silence. She quickly glances at Castle and they both start moving quickly down the corridor and as they move she pulls the hand held radio from the pouch on her vest.

"Probable contact in the ground floor manager's office. SWAT converge on this location. The rest continue your search and stand by," she hisses into the radio quietly as they near the closed door to the office.

When they reach the door they take positions on either side of it, backs to the wall, guns and flashlights pointed down but ready. Turning her light off and pocketing it she reaches for the door knob and turns it slowly. Mindful of the possibility of the door creaking as she does so she slowly pushes the door open a crack so that she can see inside.

Fortunately for her the view she gets through the crack in the door is all she needs to see that the scream they heard was indeed from Liguria and that they have found him and Rainey. Inside she can plainly see, in the portable gas lantern on the floor that Rainey must have brought with him, Liguria lashed upright to a pillar that, with another, once marked the divide between the inner and outer office. In the light from lantern she sees a black clad, bald, stocky Rainey is advancing on the bound, battered and bloody mobster. Light gleams off the long thick blade of what looks like a hunting knife in Rainey's hands as moves forward and that sight has Kate pushing the door all the way open and advancing into the room quickly, gun up.

Castle is just a step behind her and as the light from his flashlight illuminates Rainey she calls out, "Stop! Police! Don't take another step, Rainey!"

"Drop the knife, Rainey!" calls Castle from beside her as they both stand side by side with their guns trained on the man.

Rainey whirls around and a desperate look comes across his face and Kate can read his intent in that desperate look as he swings back and forth between them and the near unconscious Liguria so she calls out again, "Don't do it!"

With a grin that is mostly a grimace Rainey whirls round again and lunges towards Liguria with the knife outstretched. Shots ring out from both her and Castle's guns and Rainey goes sprawling at the feet of the tied up Liguria. Together her and Castle advance on the sprawled Rainey their weapons trained on him.

Kate reaches him first and kicks the knife away from his outstretched hand. As she keeps her gun on Rainey Castle goes to the bound Liguria to check on him.

"He's alive but in a bad way, Kate," he tells her after feeling at Liguria's neck under his drooping head.

At that moment they are almost blinded by the light from several flashlights slung under the barrels of the automatic weapons of the SWAT team as they fill the open door of the room. As the black, body armoured SWAT team troops into the room Kate crouches down to check on Rainey.

She looks up at Castle as he starts, with the assistance of a couple of SWAT members, to release Liguria from his bindings and tells them, "He's alive."

* * *

 _Home of Councilwoman Rachel Zamis – at the same time_

Zamis is sitting alone on the couch in her living room, sipping a glass of red wine and watching a cable news channel. Her partner and soon to be fiancé if her scheduled life continues as she expects, a local business man, is currently on the west coast on a business trip so she is enjoying a little quiet alone time before bed. Then to her considerable surprise, the doorbell rings. Curious at who could be at her door at this late evening hour she puts her glass down on the coffee table in front of the couch and gets up.

Upon reaching the front door she studies the small LED screen next to the door showing the image from the camera covering the outside of the door. Her eyebrows rise in surprise as she recognises the man standing there.

Nervous now she fumbles slightly with the locks on her door before she finally has the door unlocked and she opens it. With the door open she takes in the late thirties, black haired, Asian man in the dark blue suit that immediately steps inside and past her as soon as the door is open.

"Good evening, Councilwoman," says the man pleasantly but with a discernible edge as he continues past her and further into her home.

Zamis is somewhat put out by the man entering without a word of invitation from her, let alone his presence at her front door at this hour, but given who this man represents she isn't going to voice any objections. After closing the front door she follows the man into her living room and as she enters he turns around to face her, dropping a manila file folder he was holding onto the glass coffee table that is between them.

"What's that?" she asks still with a little assertiveness. This is her home after all.

"That is the details of your new job, Councilwoman," says the man who she knows as Harry Su, the head of special projects and the right hand man of her sponsor, Giles Huntington.

"My new job?" she asks dumbly, not knowing what the man is talking about.

"Your new job," reaffirms Su with a nod. "In there you will find the formal offer to join a multi-national commission on urban development and sustainability based in Europe, Brussels is fact. When you accept you are to take up your appointment immediately. With your profile in local politics we think you are highly suited for such a post," Su ends confidently.

Shocked at this news, to say the least, Zamis stammers, "Wh…Wh…What are you talking about? Brussels? What about my career and my life here? My run for congress in a few years? Why would I give that all up to take part in some inconsequential political talk fest half way across the world? My public profile here will disappear if I do this and I'll become unelectable."

Su fixes her with a significant look that conveys that he will accept no argument from her, "Unfortunately for you your connection to our Russian associates has brought you to the attention of the Special Investigations Taskforce. My employer and your benefactor can not allow that attention to continue. Our contacts in the ACPD told us that the SIT is busy with other matters this evening so it's allowed me to meet with you face to face to give you your instructions. Just so you know how serious we take this matter. You taking this position will remove you from their jurisdiction and their scrutiny. Don't worry, in a few years you will be able to return and with such international experience under your belt you will be seen as being even more qualified for federal office. Rest assured that we will do everything we can to restore your public profile so your electability won't suffer."

Still flabbergasted at this she then asks indignantly, "What if I refuse?"

A dark look comes across Su's face as he says as he says, "Make no mistake, this is the only option for you that you will find in any way agreeable. Any other option would be, lets us say, detrimental to your continued health."

Zamis takes a nervous gulp at the man's blatant implication as he continues with a very fake charming smile on his lips but with clear authority in his voice as he says, "Don't worry, Councilwoman. My employer does not wish you any harm unless it is absolutely necessary. He sees such harm coming to you as a waste of the money and resources he's poured into you to date. He sees this new job as the best solution to an unfortunate situation while enabling you to keep your utility to him. There are other options he could and would take if necessary, believe me, but he feels it would be in all our best interests not to take those options. If you do as you are told and take this job then you still have a chance to reach the political heights you aspire to. Don't and, well, you will soon learn what those other options are and I doubt you will find them in any way as appealing as spending a couple of years in the land of beer and chocolates."

Feeling more than a little trapped by events that she is in no way to blame for she desperately tries to think a way around the 'offer' that her benefactor, through Su, is insisting on. She doesn't want to go to Europe and lose her public profile here but the alternatives that the dark eyed Asian man are alluding too are even less appealing and most likely less than conducive for her continued existence. Then she thinks of something that might stave off this idea of her benefactor.

"What about Oyarzov and his men? What if they talk? Sending me to Brussels will mean nothing if those Russians tell the feds what they know. As it is they know a lot more incriminating things about your employer's illegal operations than I do so they are the much bigger threat to him. Why should I uproot myself and leave the country if they are going to spill the beans anyway?" she asks desperately, seeing this as her last, slim chance at changing her Huntington's mind.

Su looks at her calmly and it is plain that he anticipated such an argument from her, "You don't have to worry about Oyarzov and his people. Very soon they will be in no position to talk to the federal authorities, or anyone at all for that matter."

* * *

 _The Port of Baltimore – in the early hours of the next morning_

Andre Oyarzov sits on the bench that runs the length of the side of the armoured van, dressed in the orange jumpsuit of a prisoner and shackled by the wrists and ankles to the floor. Around him the rest of his men sit similarly attired and restrained and their bodies rock in unison as the van jostles as it makes its way over some unseen bumps.

He is dozing in his seat as he is tired being as it is so early and he was roused from his cell at that DHS black site just after midnight just as he was starting to get to sleep for the evening. His still sleep fuddled mind had been surprised to see that he was not alone in being roused and then bundled into this van. Oyarzov has no idea where they are taking him and his men as when he'd asked the black armoured guards that the only answer he'd received was stony silence.

Moments later he is jolted from his dozing as the van comes to a halt and the engine shuts off. Then the double doors at the back of the van are thrown open and he instinctively tries but fails to raise his handcuffed hands to shield his eyes from the glare of the lights that seem to be shining straight into the darker interior of the van.

Squinting into the light his eyes gradually adjust just in time to see one of the black clad men that was driving the van climb into the back with him and his men. As he starts to make out more of what he can see outside the van he is not surprised to see several heavily armed and armoured men standing and waiting for them. The man that has clambered in with them proceeds to unlock them from where they are restrained to the floor of the van while still leaving the handcuffs on their wrists and ankles that are linked together by chains and to the other prisoners.

One of the black balaclava wearing men outside now calls out, "All right, step down nice and easy. No trouble!"

Those of his men nearest the door follow the man's instruction as, with difficulty due to their restraints, they clamber from the rear of the van onto the concrete outside. Once Oyarzov has made his similarly awkward way out of the van he looks around and is surprised to find that they are standing on the edge of a dock, surrounded by shipping containers and next to where a large red container ship is docked. The smell of oil and sea air all fills his nose as he takes in his surroundings with open curiosity.

Then the man that had called out earlier, indicating with his assault rifle, commands, "Okay. This way!"

So in single file they all hobble, chains clinking, in the direction indicated by the armed men which is towards the gangway nearby that leads up to the deck of the container ship. Soon after they are on the deck of the ship and are being led down past the numerous stacked containers there towards the bow. They then are led through a hatch and down several decks and though a couple more hatches until they find themselves in what Oyarzov suspects is one of the holds of the ship.

Stacked containers tower around them as they are led towards a group of armed men, dressed in combat fatigues and a man, that from the gold lace on the epaulets on his white shirt and the peaked cap he is wearing Oyarzov assumes is the ship's Captain.

The guard the led them here approaches the Captain, removes a PDA from one of the pouches on the vest he is wearing and holds it out to the Captain saying, "Fifteen prisoners all present and correct, Captain. They're all yours now."

The fiftyish aged man with a greying beard, a stereotypical ship's Captain if Oyarzov ever saw one, takes the PDA and presses his thumb to the screen. There is a loud beep from the device and the guard takes it back from the Captain and returns it to the pocket on his vest as the Captain says, "Thank you."

The guard nods and with a circling motion of his hand to the rest of the black clad guards he leads them out of the hold, back the way they came. They leave Oyarzov and his men standing with the Captain and his group of armed men. Despite the confident bravado and defiance that he is trying to project Oyarzov can't help but feel a bit apprehensive at this sudden change to their circumstances.

Being loaded onto this ship makes him think that is another black site. The type where, once they are international waters, more 'enhanced' interrogation techniques are to be used on them. The squeal of an un-oiled metal door being opened draws his attention to one of the fatigue wearing men opening up the nearest shipping container.

Stepping to one side the Captain then commands, "All right you lot, inside."

Obediently but reluctantly the closest of his men start hobbling into the open container as the men around them gesture with their automatic rifles in the direction they want them to go. Tugged forward by the chain that links him to the man in front Oyarzov soon finds himself stepping into the dark container and he is more than a bit concerned to see that it is entirely empty inside.

He immediately turns around to object at such sparse conditions but is brought up short by the sight of the man that has now appeared at the Captain's side, a man he well recognises.

"Hello, Andre Petrovich, my old friend," says his friend and boss, Yuri Metlenko, late forties, tanned with black hair and dressed in his expensively tailored black suit.

Hope and pleasure springs to being in Oyarzov at the sight of Metlenko, the man that has been his boss and friend all his life. He was not expecting to see Metlenko here, in America, because the last time he heard he was back home in St Petersburg. Oyarzov surges forward but is brought up short by his chains that still bind him and link him to the others.

He hold up his handcuffed wrists to Metlenko and says, "Hey, Yuri, get me out of these things."

An almost sad smile appears on Metlenko's face as he says apologetically, "Sorry, Andre, but you allowed yourself to be caught and for one of your men to inform on us. You know the penalty for that."

A chill of horror shoots up Oyarzov's spine at those words and as the metal doors of the container start closing. As they clang shut, cutting him off from the sight of Metlenko, the outside world and plunging him into absolute darkness he surges forward, calling out desperately.

Outside the container Metlenko nods his head to the ship's Captain and takes a few steps back. He watches as another container is lowered through the open hatch above them. As this new container is lowered in position, in front of and blocking the one holding Oyarzov and his men Metlenko can hear the yells and banging in the door of the container from the trapped men.

With a loud noise of impact and a shudder that he can feel through the deck at his feet the container drops into position now totally obscuring from view the container with its human cargo. The desperate sound of men's voices and the banging of metal is greatly diminished now but is still just barely audible.

Metlenko turns to the Captain and says, "Do not move or open it again until you reach Odessa. Even then do not open it, simply offload it onto the truck that I will have waiting for you there."

"Yes, sir," acknowledges the Captain.

Metlenko then turns back to where what is now the tomb of Andre Oyarzov and his men is hidden as the Captain and his men start moving off. It is a shame about Andre, he thinks, but getting caught like he did leaves him with no choice.

It is only right and proper that his American partner, that arrogant blue blood, Giles Huntington, left this to him and didn't take care of Oyarzov himself. There is still that traitor from Oyarzov's crew and his slut that are out there and talking but the American assures him that they will be taken care of. He hopes so otherwise, despite how profitable his relationship is with the man is he might just have to arrange a similar sea voyage for the wealthy and influential American. Both to protect himself and to punish the man for his failure.

With the cries and bangs still coming from the concealed container Metlenko turns on his Italian leather shoes and strides from the hold. The serene and impassive look on his face as he walks out gives no indication that he has just consigned sixteen men, one of them a long-time friend, to a very grim death.

* * *

 _A/N:_ So the murderers have been stopped while some avenues for the investigation into Kent's case are being taken away, one of them rather terminally. We'll just have to wait to see where they go from here.

Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. Work has really kept me busy since the series finale so I haven't had a chance to finish until now.

On the end of what was my favourite show, Castle. (Spoilers for the last episode by the way)

While I am sad to see the end of a show that I still think has a lot of potential I'm feeling somewhat better with the fact that at least our favourite couple was kept intact and ended with the happy ending a lot of fans have wanted to see. How horrible would it have been if there was a season nine and the last sight we see of Beckett is her bleeding out on the loft floor? With Stana not being asked back for the next season and the reported time gap that was going to happen then it is clear that Beckett would have died off camera which for me is a totally unacceptable way to say goodbye to such a significant character. It further demonstrated that those in charge of the show, the network and the show runners, really didn't understand what this show was about or why a lot of people watched it. If they thought they could just throw away a much loved character and actress and the stories they had brought us over the last eight seasons with so little imagination and thought then they clearly had no respect for the last eight years of storytelling. They should have ended the show then because what they would have continued to give us would been even worse and they would have just been keeping the show going at all cost while destroying a good part of its essence.

One thing I will say in their favour, however, is that they really have given a gift to fanfic writers with that seven year gap between the last scenes. The number of post ep fics, specifically dealing with filling in those seven years and the expanded Caskett family, that have come out have been numerous and very enjoyable to read. They help to take the sting out of the loss of the show and characters that have entertained this writer for eight seasons.

I'll just finish by saying thank you to all the members of the cast and crew that gave us eight years of such a unique and enjoyable show. The stories of Richard Castle, Kate Beckett and their family and friends will forever hold a special place in my heart and the happy ending we got allowed them not to be diminished in any significant way.

Goodbye Castle! We had no idea when it started but it truly was great.


	17. Chapter 17

_Disclaimer: Castle does not belong to me._

* * *

 _Shore Memorial Hospital – Atlantic City_

Kate looks down at the man in the hospital bed and then shares a look across the bed with Castle as he stands on the other side. She then goes back to studying the man lying bandaged and hooked up to a couple of IV drips, a heart rate monitor and a couple of other pieces of medical equipment.

The man is Doug Rainey, one of the two men they know is responsible for the brutal murder of four people and for the kidnapping and attempted murder of one other, Joseph Liguria. Besides the fact that he, along with his partner Marcus Walsh, is looking at multiple life sentences Rainey is a very lucky man.

While the two gunshot wounds he received at the hands of herself and Castle stopped him from killing Liguria neither hit anything vital or are life threatening. In fact after a relatively short surgery where one bullet was removed, the other was a through and through, she and Castle have been given clearance by Rainey's doctor to interview him.

Though not without someone else present as the early thirties woman with the brown hair and charcoal coloured pants suit from the public defender's office says to them from where she is standing near the head of Rainey's bed, "Now Captain, let me remind you that while you have been given clearance by my client's doctor to interview him he is under no obligation to answer your questions."

Kate fixes the woman with one of her sternest glares and is gratified to see the woman blanch slightly in reaction as she replies, "I understand perfectly, Counsellor."

She then focuses her gaze on the bald, fiftyish man lying propped up on several white pillows who is looking back at her stoically but with a hint of the pain he must be feeling from his wounds visible in his eyes and the rigid set of his jaw. Looking Rainey in the eye she says, "However, I think it would be in your client's best interest for him to tell us his side of the story."

"We have enough evidence to convict your client on multiple counts of murder, kidnapping, not to mention being caught red handed in the course of one kidnapping and an attempted murder," adds Castle in his regular role, working with her to get a suspect to talk. "The only way he can hope for any small chance for leniency is if he presents his side of the story. Who knows, if there are enough fathers on the jury he might even find some sympathy or at least understanding."

"At the very least you can let people know why you did what you did and that there was a reason behind it all. A reason that you now have the opportunity to tell the world about," Kate appeals to Rainey.

She watches as Rainey's brown eyes stare into hers for several seconds and she can see the wheels turning in his mind as he considers their words. Eventually he gives a slight shrug of his shoulders, which cause him to wince in pain, before saying in a rough, raspy voice, "Alright, Captain, what do you want to know?"

"Mr Rainey, I caution you against saying any…." Starts the lawyer only for Rainey to cut her off, looking up at her as he does so.

"I appreciate the advice, Counsellor, but I want to answer their questions. I'm not ashamed of what I've done, far from it. The way I see it I've helped rid the world of some vermin and I feel no guilt at all for that. I was once where these two detectives stand and as a former cop I owe them the courtesy of being up front with them about all this."

The lawyer shakes her head in disbelief and exasperation and exclaims, "Well, if you're sure. I can't stop you but I still advise against saying anything."

Rainey gives her a final ironic look as he responds with, "Understood, Counsellor." He then turns back to Kate and Castle and says, "OK, what do you want to know?"

Kate shares another look with Castle across the bed and then looks at the digital recorder that is on the fold away arm set up in front of Rainey. The flat surface is what a patient would normally eat their meals on and Kate makes sure that the recorder resting upright on it is indeed recording. She then takes a breath and asks, "Alright, well let's get the formalities out of the way. We've already read you your rights so I'll start by asking you, Douglas William Rainey do you admit to the kidnapping, torture and murder of Helen Nguyen, Brian Samuels, Natalie Collins and Simon Harris?"

Rainey looks her in the eye and in a prideful voice says, "Yes, I admit to getting rid of all four of those scum."

"And do you further admit to the kidnapping, torture and attempted murder of Joseph Liguria?" asks Castle laying out all the charges that this man's deeds are responsible for.

"Yes, I admit to taking that greasy wop off the streets and showing him some of the pain that he's inflicted on the people of this town for so long. I'm just sorry that it's only attempted murder and that I didn't get to finish the job," responds Rainey now looking over at Castle. He'd started his declaration in the same prideful tone but by the end there is a tinge of frustration in his voice.

While Kate is feeling relieved that they have the basic confession from Rainey, relief that she can sense Castle shares with her, she can also sense the frustration the admission has caused in the man's lawyer as she huffs and shifts on her heels next to the man.

"And your accomplice in all this was Marcus Walsh?" Castle continues.

Now a look of stubbornness appears on Rainey's face as he says defiantly, "I'll admit to what I've done but I'm not throwing anyone else under the bus."

"Don't bother, Rainey," Kate interjects getting the man looking from Castle back to her. "We have a statement already from Walsh confirming his involvement. Not to mention that you left him at the abduction scene of Joe Liguria. We found both yours and his fingerprints and DNA in the SUV you used. Carpet fibres from that vehicle match fibres we found on Simon Harris' body. Then there are the boots you were both wearing when you were caught. They match impressions taken at both the scene of Simon Harris' murder here and at the scene of Natalie Collins' murder in New York. So there's no need to cover for Walsh. We have you both so you might as well tell us the full story, including what you both did."

Rainey just gives a resigned shrug of his shoulders at that but does not respond beyond that.

"So all this, the kidnappings, torture and murders were revenge for the deaths of your daughter and Marcus Walsh's son?" she now presses wanting to make the man's motive clear for the eventual court case.

Rainey nods emphatically at that, "That's right. Liguria and his people were responsible for the deaths of my little girl and the Walsh boy. The cops here just wrote off their deaths as a random event. Wrong place wrong time. Almost as if it was our kids fault for being in that bar in the first place. Not that it was the fault of Liguria's people that our kids ended up on a cold slab. So Marcus and I decided to punish those responsible."

"We've spoken to people in Salem that know Walsh. He's never been violent before and especially not murderous. How did you convince him to go along with this?" Castle asks but Kate suspects that she and her husband know how Rainey convinced Walsh to join him on his murderous revenge spree. As a twisted attempt of justice for their murdered children.

"He didn't take that much convincing. He loved his boy as much as I loved my Jane and so when I came to him with my idea of tracking down those behind their deaths and making them pay he was all for it. With his connections in the criminal underworld and my experience as a cop and a PI it didn't take us long to find out that Liguria and his crew were behind it all. Then all we had to do was start taking out the trash. It's a lot more than the pretenders with badges here did," admits the man lying in the bed in front of them.

"Ok, well then let's start with the first murder, that of Helen Nguyen," Kate now asks wanting to get all the information of the murders laid out. "So after finding out that Liguria's organisation was responsible for the bad drug buy that got your children killed how did you find out about Helen Nguyen and the other proxies working for Liguria."

"That was one of Marcus' contacts in Boston. This contact did some business with the Morello family and they knew all about Happy Joey and his proxies and how they were a way of keeping the gaming commission off his scent. Once we knew about them all it took was a few weeks surveillance of Liguria and I was able to identify the first one, Helen Nguyen. Can you believe that bitch would run hookers at night all the while selling ice cream to kids during the day," Rainey says in a disgusted voice.

"So once you identified her you sent her a newspaper with a warning. Why warn her, why not go straight for her and surprise her?" asks Castle.

"Because we didn't want to just kill them. We wanted to make them suffer and putting the fear of God into them was the first step," responds Rainey.

"And that's also why you went for the proxies at all and not straight for Happy Joey, who had to be your main target all along, to put the fear of God, as you put it, into Liguria," surmises Castle.

Rainey nods in agreement, "That's right we wanted to frighten that asshole. Scare him with the fact that his people were being taken out, one by one and there was nothing he could do about it. Then when he was good and afraid it was to be his turn."

"It also didn't hurt that due to the illegal activity they were involved with you knew that they wouldn't go running to the cops for protection," adds Kate and again Rainey nods in agreement.

Wanting to get the interview back on track Kate now asks, "So after you sent the warning you and Walsh abduct Nguyen? Where was that from, her home or her work?"

"Her home. Marcus was able to break in and he had her bound and gagged before she knew we were even there," answers Rainey.

"And then you took her to back to where she works, beat her, tied her to a lamp post out the back and then cut her throat?" Kate asks.

"Yeah, that's how it went down," again admits Rainey.

"Isn't death a bit of a harsh penalty for running a few prostitutes especially such a brutal death? There was no indication that Nguyen had anything to do with the drug buy where your daughter was killed. I might get that you were targeting members of Liguria's organisation generally for revenge by why be so cruel with someone that had nothing directly to do with your daughter's death?" asks Castle and Kate can hear equal measures of curiosity and disgust in his voice.

Anger flashes in Rainey's eyes as he declares, "They were all responsible whether they played a direct part or not. They all had to pay."

There is a pause as Kate lets some of Rainey's anger cool for a moment as the man lies there his chest moving rapidly with the quick breaths he is taking after his outburst. Once his breathing has slowed and that she can see he has calmed down she decides to continue.

"Ok, now Natalie Collins murder was next but we'll get back to that. For now let's move onto Brian Samuels," she says in a professional tone so to try and further calm the man. In this instance they are better off keeping him calm as he seems more than happy to talk. Angering him may not be helpful for them or their case. "You found Helen Nguyen by following Liguria. Is that how you found Samuels?" Kate asks.

"Yes, and he also met with Helen Nguyen a few times as well. I'd been looking at him anyway because he was at the bar the night Jane was killed. I've looked into everyone that was there that night. When I saw him talking to Liguria and Nguyen then I knew he was one of Liguria's people," Rainey tells them.

"And seeing as he was there when your daughter was killed and likely part of the drug buy then he could be held directly responsible for your daughter's murder as well," states Castle.

"That's right," responds Rainey self-righteously.

"Was it the same with Samuels?" asks Kate. "You sent him a warning on an old newspaper, then abduct him from his home, tie him to that pillar under the boardwalk and then beat and kill him by cutting his throat?"

"All except where we took him from. It wasn't from his home but from where he worked. He was working late fixing the trike he would use to push drugs from while also pushing tourists around. We took him from there and as we were on the boardwalk already decided to use it as the place to display him. That way Liguria and the rest of the scum in this city would know that their days were numbered," Rainey tells them continuing in a self-righteous air.

"But surely that could and did also work against you?" Castle puts to the man. "Eventually those you were hunting would either go into hiding or beef up security so much that you'd get nowhere near them. It's almost what happened with Liguria. He was running and you had to move fast or him, your main target and the man you held ultimately responsible for your daughter's murder, would have slipped through your fingers. Is that why you sent the threat to Sylvie Baressi? To take a little of the pressure off Liguria to try and stop him running like he did."

Rainey gives a grudging nod of agreement, "Yeah, we'd seen Liguria increase his security and we knew it was only a matter of time before he bolted so we sent the threat to that wop bitch to try and throw him off. When we started this we knew it was a risk, that our scare tactics might work against us. That's why Liguria was always going to be next. We planned it so that he would be scared but not quite to the point that would put him out of our reach. It almost didn't work and given I'm sitting here and he's still out there somewhere breathing I suppose you could say it still didn't, but it almost did. If you two hadn't shown up when you did I would had gotten final justice for Jane and Todd."

"Liguria didn't only increase security around himself though did he?" asks Kate. "He also put his guys on Harris when you sent your threat to him didn't he?"

"That's right. We were still able to take him right from under Liguria's goons noses anyway. But that did confirm for us that our window of opportunity was closing so we sent the threat to the Baressi broad and planned to take Liguria next," agrees Rainey.

"So you took Harris from his home, again using Walsh's locksmith skills, all the while avoiding Liguria's men outside. Then you took Harris to 'The Sandcastle', beat him and slit his throat just like the others?" Castle put to Rainey.

"That's right," agrees Rainey.

"How did you identify Harris as one of Liguria's people? Did you see him meeting with Liguria, one of his people or one of the other victims?" Kate asks Rainey.

"I saw him meet with Samuels a couple of times. I even saw them exchange a parcel once and I'm pretty sure there wasn't any of Harris' burgers in it," Rainey tells them.

Kate shares another look across the bed with Castle and they have one of their silent conversations with their eyes. Now is the time to get to the murder that got them involved in this case in the first place. The murder of Natalie Collins.

Looking back at the still confident and defiant Rainey she is interested to see if he remains so after she tells him what she is about to tell him next.

But first, to start the ball rolling, she has to ask a question, "Going back to the murder of Natalie Collins. How did you identify her as one of Liguria's people?"

"Oh, I watched her meeting with Nguyen a few times. Once they met at this club with a bunch of the pros that Nguyen was running. It looked like she was helping Nguyen run the girls. Then when we sent the warning to her she confirmed it by running to Liguria for help," Rainey tells them confidently.

"So you and Walsh follow her to New York, abduct her from her hotel or off the street on the way to meet her friend there and then take her to Central Park to beat her and slit her throat? Is that right?" Kate presses wanting the facts clear.

"Yes, we were worried when she crashed with that friend of hers and her boyfriend. Despite what you might think about us we didn't want to hurt innocent people. But once she moved out and into that hotel that made it easier for us. It's as you said we took her off the street and took her to Central Park where we killed her. We took her there because with a murder like that in a prominent public place there was a good chance it would be reported back here and then Liguria would know that we'd gotten another of his people," Rainey explains to them.

Kate looks at Castle again and gives him a small nod for him to continue and he does, saying to Rainey pointedly, "So you and Walsh followed her all the way to New York and yet you didn't once ask yourselves why she was running there and not staying in Atlantic City where she could stay under the dubious protection of Happy Joey?"

Rainey just shrugs his shoulders at that before responding carelessly, "We figured that as there had only been Nguyen killed before then that Liguria wasn't taking the threat seriously enough yet and refused to help her. She obviously thought that she'd loose us going to New York but we had her the whole time."

Kate watches as Castle shakes his head regretfully and she waits for him to drop their bombshell. A bombshell they had discovered after speaking with the worse for wear, grateful but still in custody Happy Joey Liguria.

"While you are correct in that Liguria did refuse to help Natalie Collins," agrees Castle with a small acknowledging dip of his head. "It wasn't because he didn't believe in the threat. He didn't help her because she wasn't one of his people."

There is a long pause and a look of shocked consternation is across Rainey's face. Eventually he stammers out, a fair bit less confidentially than before, "Wha…what are you talking about? What do you mean she wasn't working for Liguria? I saw her with my own eyes meeting with hookers that belong to Liguria."

This time Kate shakes her head as she tells him, "No, Rainey. We've spoken to Joe Liguria and thanks to evidence gathered by several of those supposedly incompetent Atlantic City cops that you think let your daughter down we have more than enough to send him away for a very long time. As a result of that and due to the slight obligation he feels towards us for saving his life he has shared a great deal with us. He's indeed confirmed that Nguyen, Samuels and Harris all worked as his proxies. However Natalie Collins was definitely not one. At no time did she work for Liguria doing anything illegal."

Castle now picks up with the revelation again to the increasing flabbergasted Rainey, "You see, Natalie Collins was an old friend of Helen Nguyen from their days working together at the Valhalla however she was never involved with Helen in running Liguria's girls. Oh, she knew about Helen's side business but she took no part in it. We've spoken to a few of the girls Helen was running as well and that meeting you mentioned was just Natalie meeting with Helen for a few drinks one night at the same club where Helen would meet with the girls she ran. Natalie was in no way involved with running them which has been confirmed by both Liguria and the girls."

Kate takes over as she takes a step closer to Rainey and looks him in the now bewildered eye and says sternly, "When you saw Natalie going to Liguria for help it wasn't because she worked for him. No, after you sent the threat to Helen she confided to Natalie about it. According to Liguria she said that Helen had told her that she thought that the reason she got the threat was because of what she did for Liguria. So when you sent her a threat like Helen's she went to Liguria thinking that as he seemed to be involved he might help her. Unfortunately for her she was wrong and he sent her away. Face it, Rainey, you and Walsh killed a woman whose only crime was being friends to one of your victims. So much for not wanting to hurt anyone innocent."

Rainey is now looking quickly from side to side as if searching for something in the stark hospital room that will refute what Kate and Castle are telling him. She sees the moment when he clearly finds what he is looking for as confidence returns to his face and Rainey asks, "If she was so innocent why didn't she go to the cops? Why did she run? Her going to New York looked like someone with something to hide to me."

Rainey sits back clearly, once again, feeling self-satisfied with his reasoning and Kate takes a little pleasure from bursting his smug bubble as she says, "She didn't go to the cops because Joe Liguria threatened her not to. In fact he has told us that he said to her that if she went to the police for help then she would have more to worry about from him than from a threat that he was taking in no way seriously at the time. In fact his disbelief in how much of a threat your campaign posed at that stage was added to by the fact that you targeted someone that had nothing at all to do with his operation."

Rainey has shut up again and from the wide eyed look he has and the slight gathering of sweat on his brow Kate can tell that he is finally realising the magnitude of his mistake.

Then Castle says seriously, "Speaking as a father myself I get you wanting to get a really twisted justice for your daughter's death though I doubt I would go as far as you did. I get that you think she might rest easier knowing that you have avenged her as sick as that may be. But how do you think she would feel to know that an innocent woman lost her life in her name. Frankly I think she would be ashamed and I think you should be as well."

* * *

 _A/N: There you go a final run down of the case that started it all. No update of the Kent story line in this chapter. I just wanted to concentrate on the Rainey interview. There will be more on where Kent's case stands, or should that be lies, in the next chapter._

 _Thank you all that continue to read, review, follow and favourite this story in this post Castle world._


	18. Chapter 18

_Disclaimer: Something I said a lot over the last year is, "If I owned Castle….," but I don't._

* * *

 _Conference Room - ACPD Headquarters_

Kate closes her eyes massages her temples in an attempt to sooth the developing headache she can feel behind her eyes. The cases of multiple murder that brought them to Atlantic City have been solved, with only the last of the paperwork currently being completed by members of her team and Detectives Mayhew and Pritchard. What has given her the beginnings of a headache, however, are the dead ends that have become of their threads into the case of Kent's dead partner.

The soft sound of something being placed on the table in front of her has her opening her eyes to see a white mug, clearly borrowed from the station's break-room, filled to the brim with steaming, light brown coffee. As she reaches for the cup to take an eager sip of her lifeblood, she looks up gratefully at Castle as he sits down in the empty seat next to her, with his own borrowed mug in hand.

Having swallowed the hot and rich liquid she says to him, "Thanks so much, Babe. I really need this."

Castle gives her a small, knowing smile, "I could tell." He then indicates to the screen of the open laptop on the table in front of her, "Any luck trying to trace where Oyarzov and his men have gone?"

Swallowing her mouthful of coffee she then gives a frustrated huff and says, "No. I've gone over the transfer request that Agent Harmsworth sent me and while it seems legitimate it plainly isn't because Oyarzov and all his men have just up and disappeared."

She indicates towards the laptop's screen as she continues, "It says here that a Deputy Director Morrison from Homeland Security authorised their transfer to a secret DHS interrogation facility that was aboard a ship in Baltimore harbour. The agents that escorted them there were real DHS Agents and, to them, had proper orders to take Oyarzov and his men there. They delivered them to the ship, signed them over as they were supposed to and then left. Now Morrison says he never authorised such a transfer and the ship, which is now at sea, is not the actual federal facility which is still sitting in Baltimore harbour. They've even lost track of exactly which ship they were loaded onto as the ship listed on the transfer order doesn't exist according to official records. Not only that but the records at the harbour master's office have been conveniently corrupted by someone hacking in and planting a virus in their system so we have no idea which of the handful of ships that sailed since then is the one that Oyarzov is on."

"What about getting the Coast Guard or the Navy to intercept all those ships that have left anyway?" proposes Castle.

Kate shakes her head regretfully before telling him, "Oh, I thought of that and so has the DHS. Seems they are understandably embarrassed at losing their prisoners. They'd already requested that the ships be intercepted. The Coast Guard has boarded and searched all those ships that they've determined left Baltimore recently but they've found nothing. No sign of Oyarzov or any of his men."

As she takes another gulp of her coffee she watches as Castle scratches the back of his head with a rueful expression on his face before saying, "I hate to say this, Kate, but if I didn't know any better I'd say this was straight out of one of my Storm books. Faked transfer orders, a mysterious ship that disappears and no records left of it or where it was going. If I was paranoid I'd say that someone, a super villain if you will, with considerable contacts and resources has made Oyarzov and his men disappear. Probably the same someone that conveniently arranged Councilwoman Zamis' appointment to that European Urban Development Commission. Now both her and Oyarzov are out of our reach which has got to be more than a coincidence."

"I'd hold off calling whoever this is a _super villain_ yet, Castle, but you are right that someone must have some serious connections and resources to pull something like this off," and so Kate basically agrees with her husband.

"The same person with enough influence to get Homeland to take Oyarzov into custody in the first place and I have a lead who that might be," Castle tells her, lowering his voice so that those of the team seated around the other end of the conference room table won't hear.

Taking his que she brings her head closer to him and asks quietly, "Who, Castle and what lead?"

"After Homeland lost Oyarzov I gave Mark Fallon a call. He was reluctant to help initially but after I reminded him how much he owes the both of us after the dirty bomb case he saw the light. After some digging with his own contacts in the department he was able to find out that the request for Homeland to take Oyarzov and his men into their custody came from a Senator Franks, a senior member of the sub-committee that has oversight for the DHS," Castle tells her in a conspiratorial tone.

"Did Fallon know why this Senator Franks requested Homeland's involvement or how he even knew about Oyarzov and his gang?" Kate asks him with a foreboding feeling starting to develop in her gut. They've been down the very personal road of corrupt Senators before and she does not relish a repeat situation. Not with the pain and upheaval it caused to her, her family and her husband's lives.

Castle shakes his head negatively, "He doesn't know why the Senator, which was done through deniable back channels, made the request. Though apparently when he was asked how he knew of the case he apparently told Homeland that some contacts here and abroad told him of Oyarzov's arrest and of his possible connection to terrorism. According to Fallon, Senator Franks is seen as one of the members of the committee that is a friend of Homeland. He also rarely uses his position like this which is why Homeland took his request so seriously and didn't press for more information from him."

"Was there anything else that Fallon could tell you about where Oyarzov and his men might be now or any more background on this Senator Franks?" she asks him, again in a whisper so that they are not overheard.

"On where the Russian and his goons are now, no. He did promise, however, to make sure that we are kept in the loop in the search and not let any passing of information get lost in any bureaucratic black holes," Castle assures her. "As for Franks, Fallon couldn't add more than he's the senior Senator from New Mexico and as I said his considered a friend of Homeland's on the sub-committee. In fact when the DHS want to run something by the sub-committee informally Franks is the one they usually make an initial approach towards to sound them out. However I was able to get more information on our erstwhile Senator from another source, Bob Weldon."

"What did the Mayor have to say about Senator Franks?" she asks, curious what insight the Mayor of New York might have on a Senator from New Mexico.

"Well thanks to Franks being in the same party as Bob he confirmed that Franks is the senior Senator for 'the Land of Enchantment' and has been on the oversight sub-committee for his last two terms. According to Bob, Franks is a growing power in Washington and has been for a while now. A state of affairs that many attribute to the powerful backers he has and one backer in particular," says Castle pausing to clearly add a dramatic sting to his reveal.

While she likes to indulge Castle's dramatics occasionally her headache means she is not in the mood for such things at the moment so she asks, she hopes not too tersely, "Which backer, Castle?"

Clearly sensing that she is not in the mood at the moment he brings down his reveal of the man's name as he says seriously and without embellishment, "Giles Huntington."

There is silence as Kate trawls through her memory for details of the name that Castle has just told her. A name that rings a bell but that doesn't immediately leap to the front of her mind. Then she has it as she remembers that Giles Huntington is a man that has long been whispered about as a major powerbroker in politics.

"The old money guy from upstate New York whose said to be behind the campaigns of half the elected officials on the east coast?" she asks wanting Castle to confirm her memory.

Castle nods enthusiastically, "One in the same, Kate. Bob told me that Huntington likes particularly to get in on a candidate's campaign early so that he can groom them into the type of candidate and politician he wants. He has loads of money and connections so he has the resources to guide candidates on the paths he desires and to set them up on career enhancing jobs, even ones overseas."

"Like getting Zamis on that commission in Brussels," Kate adds immediately grasping the point that Castle is making.

"That's right," Castle agrees emphatically. "So we have a Senator in DC, backed by Huntington, that arranges for Homeland to take Oyarzov away from us. Then I'll bet that mysterious backer that Zamis called a couple of times is Huntington and he arranged for her to get that job in Europe to also get her away from our scrutiny. We just need to confirm somehow that Huntington is behind Zamis and we have a connection between her leaving town and Oyarzov's disappearance and it all comes down to Giles Huntington."

"You could be right, Castle. It shouldn't be too hard to find a legitimate connection between Huntington and Zamis if he is backing her campaign. But why would a guy like Huntington be involved with a criminal like Oyarzov? From what little I recall about the guy he is from an old blue blood family that somehow kept its money over all these years. Add his role in politics, even behind the scenes as it is and why would he risk being involved with criminals at all?" she puts to him as argument that she feels a lot of people will make if Castle puts this theory to them.

"Maybe the reason his family has stayed wealthy and influential despite the vagaries of Wall Street or the odd economic downturn is the fact that they have these connections to less than legitimate sources of income. Being the power behind so many elected officials could not just be as a way of furthering his own political agenda but also as a way of safeguarding his less than legal activities. Activities like being behind the theft and smuggling of weapons where a New Jersey State Trooper is killed, perhaps. Or, following on with the super villain theme, he could also just like the power and having control of both legitimate and illegitimate worlds which might speak to his ego," Castle proposes and he sits back in his chair as he finishes.

Kate arches a sceptical eyebrow at that, "Really, Castle. You're going back to him being a super villain? I think you better stick to trying to keep your theory grounded in realism if you want other people to accept it. Anyway we still have to prove that Huntington was behind Zamis before we can start fully prescribing to your theory. Let alone connecting him to the death of Kent's partner beyond the possible connection he has with Oyarzov. What if it is Senator Franks himself that is behind this?"

A sombre look comes across Castle's face as he now leans in close to her and also reached over to take one of her hands, that is resting on the table in front of her and he gives it a gentle squeeze as he says quietly, "Kate, there is something else that Bob told me that speaks to Huntington possibly being behind Oyarzov and other illegal activity. He said that one of the many politicians that Huntington backed over the years is one that we are very familiar with and who was well known for his own illegal empire….," Castle then pauses and takes a deep breath as if fortifying himself for what he is about to say though if she is honest Kate is starting to get a cold feeling in her gut as she is getting an inkling of the name Castle is going to say just before he says it.

He gives her hand a reassuring squeeze as he does indeed say the name she is dreading, "Kate, Huntington backed William Bracken's campaign."

Though she had been expecting the name a shiver of shock still goes up her spine at hearing the name behind her mother's murder again. She can't help the plaintive tone in her voice as she asks, "Castle, is Bob sure? I thought Benjamin Moss, the guy that was behind the plot to kill Bracken with that car bomb, was Bracken's kingmaker?"

"Yes, he was Kate, but even kingmakers sometimes have someone behind them as well and apparently Huntington was behind Moss. Oh, when you took down Bracken, Huntington was quick to come out publicly and denounce him. No links were of an illegal nature were found between Bracken and Huntington but you know that we've always thought there was more to Bracken's network than we discovered and that he had to have had others behind him because there is no way he could have run those operations entirely on his own."

Kate lets the heavy implication of what Castle is suggesting sit out there for a moment because as painful as it is for her to dredge this all up again she can see where her husband is coming from. She's also sure that Castle wouldn't bring this up unless he was sure because her whole war against Bracken was not only painful both physically and emotionally for her but for Castle as well. Not to mention that Bracken, her mother's case and the emotional walls she built around herself as a result prevented her and Castle from getting together a lot sooner than they eventually did.

As if he is reading her thoughts, just like always, he whispers carefully, "Kate, I don't like bringing up Bracken any more than you do but I think we really have to look at the possibility of Huntington having been involved with Bracken and now with Kent's case."

She looks him in the eye and the worry she sees there warms the cold feeling she's been having ever since her mother's killer was brought up. The concern this kind, generous and loyal man has for her will never ceases to amaze her. She doesn't feel worthy of his love sometimes but then at times like this it can't help but reinforce her own powerful love for him.

Squeezing his hand in response she says, "I know, Castle, and I think you are right. Don't worry about me. I can deal with this. With you with me, just like with Bracken, I can focus and get this done."

A small smile graces Castle's lips at her words and he squeezes her hand back again.

Thinking of more practical matters Kate then asks him again, "We still need to find a substantive link between Huntington and Zamis. Does Bob know if Huntington has any connection to Zamis?"

He shakes his head negatively, "No he doesn't but he is looking into it for us with some of this own contacts. He said he'll let me know what he finds."

Then almost as if the universe is listening to them Gibson walks up to them and says, "Captain, I have something you should see."

After a quick, "Excuse me," the NYSP investigator then plugs a USB memory stick into the side of Kate's laptop and after a few clicks and swipes of the mouse pad a widow playing a black and white video appears on the screen.

"This was taken by the camera I left monitoring Councilwoman's Zamis' home on the night when I had to suspend my surveillance of her to join the hunt for Rainey. As you both know, the very next day she announced she was leaving for that job in Europe," Gibson tells them standing next to them and the laptop.

With a tap on the trackpad the video starts playing. From the out of focus leaves in the foreground and the street front view of Zamis' home Kate surmises that Gibson must have set the camera up in a tree on the street, opposite to the Councilwoman's front door.

In the grey on black image of a lowlight, infrared camera working in the dark she sees a dark sedan pull up in front of Zamis' home and a man get out of the driver seat. As the man stands up he looks around and at the moment he looks in the direction of the camera Gibson taps the trackpad again and the image pauses.

Indicating to the clear image of who they can now see is a man with Asian features Gibson says, "I've run facial recognition on him and I was also able to get an image of his car's licence plate. The car is a rental that was booked out of the Atlantic City airport by a consultancy company called, Nexia Consulting, based in Rosslyn, Virginia. I spoke to the rental company and the driver's name is Harry Su. Facial recognition confirmed it is him, he works as a lobbyist in Washington. Because he does a lot of work on the Hill he's in the system so that's why I got the hit."

Gibson then taps the trackpad again and the video resumes playing and as they watch Su walk confidently towards the front door of the house Kate asks, "Is he still in town?"

"No, ma'am. He flew back to DC on a company jet just a few hours after this meeting took place," Gibson tells her.

"Does he have a record?" Caste now asks as Su presses a door bell button next to the door.

Gibson shakes her head, "No, he's clean."

They all continue to watch as, after a pause, the front door to Zamis' home opens and a surprised looking Councilwoman ushers the man inside her home. As the front door closes behind them Gibson then reaches down to pause the video again and says, "He stays for about half an hour and then leaves again. Then, as I said, the next morning Zamis suddenly announces that she has been granted leave from the council to take up the position in Brussels. A job that none of our prior surveillance had revealed any indication of. The obvious implication is that this man's visit and Zamis leaving town are connected."

"I think you are right, Gibson," agrees Castle beside Kate. "Have you looked into Su and his company? Found out who is behind them or if they have the connections to arrange this rather convenient job for Zamis?"

Gibson shrugs her shoulders under the black leather jacket that she is wearing that to Kate looks a lot like one that is currently hanging in their wardrobe back in New York and the young woman says, "I've started but I thought the Captain would want to see this straight away seeing as how Zamis virtually skipped town straight after she met with this guy."

"You're right, Gibson. I did need to see this straight away," agrees Kate and then she turns to where Special Agent Douglas is seated across the table and a few seats away and she calls to her, "Douglas!"

"Yes, Captain," responds the FBI agent looking up from the laptop she is typing away at.

Kate indicates with her head towards her laptop and then Gibson standing next to her, "Gibson here has a name and company close to DC that I want you to run by your contacts there. I want everything you can find on a Nexia Consulting and a Harry Su."

"But be careful who you talk to," warns Castle. "There's a chance this guy and company has connections all over DC and we don't want word getting back to them that we are interested if we can help it.

* * *

 _Nexia Consulting, Rosslyn, Virginia_

Harry Su reads with consternation at what is displayed on the laptop screen in front of him. His employer is not going to like this. Oh, no he is not going to like this one bit.

Su then opens one of the drawers in his desk and pulls out one of the handful of burner cell phones there. Switching it on he presses the speed-dial for the only number this phone calls and then puts it up to his ear.

After three rings the call is answered with the familiar cultured voice of Giles Huntington asking, " _What is it, Su?"_

Keeping his voice calm and professional sounding Su says, "A problem, sir. The worm I have in the facial recognition system just flagged a search on me. The search was instigated by an Investigator Lisa Gibson of the New York State Police. She's a member of the tri state taskforce run by Captain Katherine Beckett-Castle who, as you recall, are currently in Atlantic City."

" _Of course, I recall,"_ says the annoyed sounding voice of Huntington from the phone. " _I take it that somehow they learned of your visit there to clear up the mess left by our Russian colleagues and to send our friend on the city council on her trip to Europe?"_

Keeping his voice as unemotional as possible is the face of his boss's annoyance Su responds, "Yes, sir. From the picture they entered into the system it looks like they saw me when I went to talk to the councilwoman."

There is a pause before a somewhat calmer sounding Huntington says, " _Well then, you know what to do."_

There is then the sound of the call disconnecting and Su takes the device from his ear, turns it off and proceeds to break it open, removing the battery and SIM card. Once the phone is disassembled he puts the pieces in the pockets of the jacket he is wearing thinking that he will drop the body of the phone, after smashing it and frying the memory chip in a microwave, into a random trash can or dumpster on his way home. The battery and SIM he will likewise dump in their own separate and random places.

He then gets up and goes and open the wall safe hidden behind his framed certificate from Cornell University. Once the safe is open he pulls out the passport and wads of cash that are stored inside.

He has prepared for this contingency for a long time now though he had hoped he would never have to use it. Now he does and has to join a certain Atlantic City Council woman in taking a job overseas. In his case at the firm's office in Hong Kong.

Su is annoyed that he has to pack up his life here in the US and head to Hong Kong just because of the actions of a bunch of cops, not even federal ones at that but his boss did warn him of the Beckett-Castle woman, her husband and their team and how much of a thorn in the side of their operations they have and could be. As with most things with his boss it turns out he is right and while most people in Huntington's position would be to go on the attack the man from upstate New York is more subtle than that.

As he did with Zamis and also with Oyarzov, though more brutally in the Russian's case, Huntington prefers to remove anything or anyone from the reach of investigators if there is even a whiff of them getting close. He will vary rarely engage directly being content with the tactic of removing anything or anyone from the vicinity and thus drying up any possible avenues of investigation.

While Su has worked as the right hand for Huntington for years now he has always known that if there was ever a chance that his link with the man and his less than legal operations could become known then his immediate association with the man would cease. This is what is happening now. By tomorrow he will be on a plane to the former British colony on the south coast of China and will have no more direct contact with Huntington for the immediate future. He will now be what his business card announces him to be, a consultant with expertise on imports and exports who is taking up a very lucrative position doing that job in Nexia's Hong Kong office.

From this moment on he has nothing to do with Huntington's operations and will continue so until Huntington himself deems it wise and safe for him to resume his other duties. Even in that case he will be remaining in Asia and be acting as Huntington's reprehensive there.

Either way he will be well beyond the reach of a team of local cops with their irritating knack of finding things out that they shouldn't.

* * *

 _A/N: Yet another lead in the Kent case is leaving just as the taskforce learns of it but Kate and Castle are getting closer to the truth. How close they get before the end of this story we will just have to see._

 _Any similarities between this storyline and the Loksat storyline from season 8 are coincidental. I devised this idea of a link between Bracken and the Kent case when I first devised this universe and the idea for this plot back when I started writing "The Seven Pointed Star". In that story you will see that I introduced the Huntington character (though unnamed at the time) back during a chapter I wrote and published during the hiatus between seasons 7 & 8\. Well before we knew of the dubiously executed Loksat storyline. If anything the writers of the show copied me and this story of someone else being behind Bracken, something I've always thought had to be the case._

 _Thanks as always to those sticking with this story despite my erratic release of chapters._


	19. Chapter 19

_Disclaimer: Castle is the property of others and is not mine._

* * *

 _The 12_ _th_ _Precinct – New York City_

Kate looks up from the papers she's reading as the members of her taskforce troop into the room. Some of the papers she was just reading relate to the cases of murder in Atlantic City, linked to one here in New York, that she and the taskforce have just closed. The evidence they accumulated along with the admissions they'd gotten from both Doug Rainey and Marcus Walsh will ensure that both men will spend the rest of their lives in prison. All regardless of how sympathetic a spin their lawyers will try to make of their defence as two aggrieved fathers looking for justice. The murder of the innocent Natalie Collins has put paid to effectiveness of that defence in one deadly and tragic stroke.

With the case now in the hands of the lawyers and the courts the SIT returned to New York with the effusive thanks of the city's mayor still ringing in their ears coupled with the grudging yet appreciative thanks of Detectives Mayhew and Pritchard of the ACPD. And so they should be thankful, thinks Kate, not only did they solve the high profile murders that brought them to the AC but they also managed to take down two major organised crime organisations while they were there as well. As she sits here both the Atlantic City government, New Jersey government and the Federal government are all currently fighting over what to do with the now seized Valhalla Hotel and Casino and the rest of the holdings of Joe Liguria.

Now back at the 12th they can focus more on the other case that dropped in their laps while they were partly cleaning up the gambling by the sea town. The case of the murder of their own Detective Sergeant Kent's partner and the seemingly massive and influential organisation that seems to be behind it.

Kate's gaze falls on Kent as he follows Douglas, their FBI liaison, into the room where she has called most of her of her to meet her. Kent had been consistent in his stubborness when, after the last of the paperwork related to the multiple murders had been completed, she'd announced their return to New York. He had argued that they should remain in Atlantic City and run down any remaining leads in regards the Russian gang and the guns that he had linked to his former partner's murder.

Of course she had disagreed on multiple fronts. Firstly, with the murders solved their stated reason for being in Atlantic City was done. She was sure that what welcome they had been afforded by the city's mayor and the ACPD would soon disappear if they just stayed in Atlantic City, investigating a case that had, with the Russian and Oyarzov and his gang out of the picture, nothing anymore to do with the city's jurisdiction.

Secondly, there was nothing more they could learn in Atlantic City that would help the case anyway. With the aforementioned Oyarzov and his men having disappeared there were no other links that they could find between the gun running operation that led to the death of Kent's partner in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Add to that the exit of the connected and suspicious Councilwoman Zamis to Europe and there was nothing further that could be gained for the case by remaining in Atlantic City.

In Kate's mind Atlantic City is not where this case is going to be solved. No, while they learned some important things there, the rest of the work they need to do is better done, in her opinion, here on their home turf in New York. Especially if they are to fully look into all the connections behind Oyarzov and Zamis and that one connection in particular, Giles Huntington of upstate New York.

Eventually Kent had seen the logic of her argument and they had all returned back here to their home base at the 12th Precinct. Now back within these familiar walls she can start putting her plan in motion to fully investigate this case. A case that seems to have some uncomfortable links to her own personal history what with the supposed links between former Senator William Bracken and Huntington.

As Esposito is the last to enter the conference room where she is sitting she nods to him and he returns her nod solemnly as he closes the door to the room behind him and there is a very loud click and even an electronic beep as he does so. She then looks around at the rest of the people standing in the room and who are, mostly, looking around the room with open curiosity. Every member, save one, a very important one in her eyes, of the taskforce is here.

Rising from her seat at the rectangular conference table she takes a couple of steps until she is standing in front of the whiteboard, or 'murder' board, that has drawn the attention of a lot of those that have entered the room. As she stops in front of the case board, as she calls it, she wishes that the absent member of their team, her husband Castle, could be standing beside her. However he is currently on his own mission that directly links to this case so she will just have to plough on without his reassuring and supportive presence.

Standing in front of the board she takes a moment to regard the room as the rest of her team now must be regarding it. For not only is there the case board to draw their attention but at one end there is a table full of laptop computers and various other pieces of technology where their resident tech analyst, Tory Ellis, is sitting and watching the rest of the team as they look around the room. Above that table is a large plasma screen that is currently displaying a screen capture of the image of one Harry Su that Gibson's surveillance camera captured in Atlantic City.

Turning her attention back to her people she takes a breath, again wishes that Castle was standing beside her, and says, "Alright, everyone. You are all probably wondering why I've called you all in her and why you all had to leave your cell phones in those pigeon holes outside the door."

"You could say that, Skip," comes the gruff voice of Kaminski from where he is standing on the opposite of the conference room table from her. "This reminds me of some of the secure facilities I saw in my time in the Corps."

Kate gives a small nod of agreement, "You're not wrong, Kaminski. What I've had set up here is our version of a poor man's SCIF, or Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility. From this room we are going to be running a case where we cannot risk any information from leaking out to our intended target. A target that has so far shown a troubling knack for knowing when someone is getting too close to them particularly though any electronic means."

Pausing she waves towards the image of Harry Su on the plasma at the end of the room, "As some of you know, as part of our investigations in Atlantic City we discovered a link between Andre Oyarzov's gang and Councilwoman Zamis. Not long after we started looking into the Councilwoman she received a visit from that man, Harry Su a lobbyist in DC, and the next day she is on her way to Europe. Then almost as soon as we identify Su he hops a plane for Hong Kong and seemingly out of our reach. Add to that the disappearance of Oyarzov and his men from federal custody and too many leads in this case are disappearing and coincidentally disappearing the moment we get close to them. Too coincidentally for my linking and as I and Castle like to say there are no coincidences. Tell them what you found, Tory."

"At the Captain's order I looked into a hunch that Detective Castle raised after he commented on how soon it was after Investigator Gibson identified Su that he left the country. I followed Investigator Gibson's digital trail to see if I could identify if anyone was watching her searches for information on Su. I can happily report that none of the taskforce's systems or equipment has been compromised and that no one had hacked in and was monitoring Gibson's search. However, in the course of my search, I did find a very troubling intrusion into the national facial recognition database. An intrusion that colleagues in the FBI and NSA are currently looking at very closely and with great concern. This intrusion took note of the search that Gibson did on Harry Su and alerted someone, most likely Su, when he had been identified," the dark eyed analyst tells them from her seat.

"So that, along with the disappearances I've already mentioned, prompted me to take what some might say is the extreme step to set up this room to be as secure from electronic intrusion as possible. Besides the steps we've already taken to leave our cell phones outside there are no other methods of communication in or out of this room. All wired phone lines have been removed. One of the many boxes with flashing lights on Tory's table there is a signal jammer so no cell, radio or Wi-Fi signals can penetrate inside or broadcast from this room. The computers you see here are all air gapped meaning that they never had and currently have no connection to the internet. Tory has even gone inside the computers and physically disabled the network capability of each machine so even if you take them out of this room and try to connect them to a network it won't happen. Any information that is to be used on these computers will be physically transferred using only a handful of specially made USB memory sticks that will be thoroughly checked for viruses and other harmful software before they can transfer information onto these machines," Kate tells them again indicating with a sweep of her arm towards the table where Tory is sitting.

She then indicates to the rest of the room itself as she continues, "As you can see the glass windows separating this room from the rest of the fourth floor and the windows on the exterior walls have all been covered over and some more electronic trickery, this time from a 'guy' that Castle knows, has been added to them so that no one can use something like a laser mike to try and listen in in what goes on in here. Add to that the fact that this room will be swept every day for listening devices and a handful of specifically vetted officers who I have known personally for years here at the 12th will stand guard outside this room so that no unauthorised persons, not even the station's janitor, can enter this room and I think you can say we've done all we can from stopping any unauthorised persons from knowing about our investigation."

"But what case warrants such precautions, Captain?" asks a slightly puzzled looking Agent Douglas, standing beside Kaminski.

With a nod towards a slightly self-conscious looking Kent, Kate says, "Some of you are aware of Kent's last case with the NJSP before he joined the taskforce where his partner at the time, a long serving Detective with the NJSP, Detective Sergeant Jake Maloney, was killed. Some of you are also aware of the link that was discovered between weapons found in the possession of Oyarzov and his gang and the weapons being smuggled at the meet where Maloney was killed. It was also because of that link why, when we discovered there was also a link between the Russians and Councilwoman Zamis that I ordered Gibson, Ryan and Esposito to start trailing and investigating her. It is this case, the death of Detective Sergeant Maloney and specifically those behind the gun running operation that was responsible for his death that I've decided this taskforce is to investigate. The precautions are because of the reasons I've already alluded to. The fact that each time we've gotten close to a lead on this case it has been whipped right from under us and, supposedly, put out of our reach. Also because the man we appear to be after has interests and contacts everywhere, maybe even in this very station but probably definitely elsewhere within the NYPD, the NYSP and maybe even the FBI and other federal agencies not to mention all the other forces some of you represent as well."

"Which man?" asks Kaminski with his own gruff curiosity.

Kate taps a finger against the headshot of a late fifties man with conservatively styled black hair with touches of grey running through it on the case board behind her, "Giles Huntington."

"Who's he?" asks a puzzled sounding Esposito as he stands near the door next to an eye rolling Ryan.

Kate isn't surprised at Esposito's ignorance of political matters or Ryan's apparent knowledge in contrast to his partner and friend that his reaction suggests. If it isn't in the sports section of the newspaper or on ESPN Espo isn't generally interested in what is going on in the news or politics.

Ryan on the other hand is a bit worldlier and so it is him that answers for Kate, "He's a long-time political wheeler and dealer and is as wealthy as hell to boot. It is said that you can't get elected on the East coast, let alone this country, without the backing of Giles Huntington."

"That's right," agrees Kate. "After Oyarzov and his crew disappeared from federal custody Castle did some digging with some contacts with ours. We wanted to find out how Homeland Security found out about Oyarzov so soon after we arrested him. He discovered that a Senator Franks set Homeland after Oyarzov and further digging revealed that Senator Franks is backed by Huntington. Now that in itself might not mean anything," Kate admits with a shrug of her shoulders.

She then points again at the picture of Su on the plasma, "However, Nexia Consulting, the firm that Harry Su, the man who we assume gave Zamis her travel orders, works for is owned indirectly by Huntington. Some inquiries that Gibson and I have done into Zamis' campaign finances revealed that the Councilwoman received quite a lot of funds from Nexia and from a couple of political Super PACs that have links to Huntington. Those are two more coincidences that I find hard to ignore."

Kate then pauses and takes a breath before telling them, "Also, perhaps the most damning thing in my own personal view, Castle discovered from our sources that one of the many politicians that owe their careers to Huntington is one I, Castle and a couple of the rest of you painfully remember. One William Bracken, the former Senator from New York."

There are sounds of surprise of a varying degree from those standing opposite her at the mention of Bracken's name. Esposito and Ryan in particular both have looks of shock and concern at the mention of the disgraced Senator. That the other members of the team react as well shows her that they have all heard by now the story of her crusade against the murderous and corrupt politician.

Fan of all things Beckett and Castle that she is it therefore isn't a surprise to Kate that it is Gibson that asks, "So you think the same man that was behind the man that had your mother killed is also behind the organisation that killed Kent's partner, ma'am?"

"Yes, I do," Kate replies emphatically, "and while, after Kent discovered the link between the Russians and his case, I was going to have this taskforce take over that investigation from the NJSP and reopen anyway. It this even more significant and personal dimension that has ensured that I want this taskforce to turn all of its talents to solving this case. But we have to be smart about this as I've indicated by setting up this SCIF. As I've mentioned Huntington has connections everywhere so from the outside we can't be seen to be looking into this. That's why I used a few contacts I have at 1PP to get the NYSP to release Kent's partner's case to us unofficially. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, particularly Huntington, the case of gun running and the death of Detective Sergeant Maloney remains closed. However within these four walls it is a very different matter."

"What about any other cases that the taskforce is assigned in the meant time? Will we stop investigating them to concentrate on this case or will they interrupt our work on this case?" now asks Kent with more than a bit of self-interest.

Kate shakes her head and says reassuringly, "We will not stop working on this case no matter what, Kent, you have my word on that. However, to keep this investigation as secret as possible, not to mention to fulfil the duty this taskforce has to the people we serve, we still have to investigate any other cases that come under our purview and most importantly we have to be seen to be investigating those cases. If my long history with chasing shadowy and powerful criminals has taught me anything that it is best if the people we are after don't know that you are investigating them. It is also safer that way because powerful, influential and well-funded guys like Bracken and now this Huntington guy tend to be rather direct and bloody in how they deal with threats." At that Kate unconsciously rubs a spot in her chest, through the purple silk blouse he is wearing, where the faded scar rests just over her heart.

Nodding his acceptance of Kate's words Kent says, "Thank you, Captain, and thank you for taking on Jake's case. So, what's next?"

"Well, to start with Castle is currently meeting with some contacts that may have an interest in helping us," Kate tells them and then points again at the image of Harry Su. "Then there is the fact that while some of our leads have left the country that does not necessarily mean that they are totally out of our reach."

* * *

 _Happy Valley Racecourse – Hong Kong_

Chief Inspector Zhang watches her target as he sits down in the tiered seating of the grandstand overlooking the various sporting fields that are ringed by the grass track that is currently flood lit so that the throng of gamblers can watch their favoured horse gallop around it. Her target, Harry Su, is dressed casually and, form guide and small binoculars in hand, easily passes for the thousands of other punters here at the racetrack this evening. Though the fact that Su has taken a seat in the more general seating area of the grandstand, having left the private corporate box that he had been in earlier has peeked Zhang's interest.

Zhang had been surprised to receive the request from her counterpart and friend, Captain Kate Beckett-Castle, as she know knows the tough and intelligent Detective from New York, to look into the recently arrived Harry Su. Yet while surprised she was also more than happy to accede to Kate's request and so here she is taking an unobtrusive seat a few rows behind and above where Su is now sitting.

What wasn't a surprise to Zhang was two years ago when, after going rouge in New York to solve her friend Henry's murder, she had been removed as head of her taskforce in San Francisco and recalled back to Hong Kong. However, despite coming home she and Kate Beckett-Castle have maintained regular contact and have built a friendship over the shared bonds of being strong, capable women in the demanding and dangerous job of law enforcement. Both of sharing so more now since Kate was promoted and took command of her own multi-jurisdictional taskforce even if Zhang had lost command of her own.

Zhang had been one of those counselling Kate to go for and accept promotion to Captain and to accept the command of the tristate taskforce that she is so successfully running. Likewise it had been Kate that had consoled her, as much as she could via email, as Zhang's divorce from her movie star husband became final soon after returning home.

Surprisingly, given their busy lives they have kept in regular contact and had even occasionally given each other advice on cases they were working on. So while it was a surprise for her friend from New York to ask her to start investigating this Su guy privately and not through official channels it was not something that she had to think two seconds about before agreeing to. As Kate told her that she had told her husband once, us super cops have to stick together.

As the parade of horses before the next race starts in the mounting yard at the base of the grandstand, Zhang makes an obvious show of studying the circling horses while in reality she is watching the seated Su who just happens to be seated between her and the horses. It is as she is observing him so that a man sits down next to Su and after a moment's pause as the two men pretend to study the horse flesh before them they start a conversation.

Now Zhang wishes she'd been able to plant a bug on Su because she is sure she would be hearing some interesting things being said by the two men because she recognises the man that has joined Su. The middle aged man with slicked back black hair and the hint of tattoos on his neck peeking out from underneath the collar of the pale blue polo shirt he is wearing is none other than Xin Chung, a very senior member of one of the Triad gangs here in Hong Kong.

For all the mainland government's tough stance and actions on crime in the city they haven't been able to eradicate the Triads. The Triads were here well before this place was a British colony and they will be here long after Zhang is gone from this world. They just are.

Carefully, so not to draw too much attention she looks around for the bodyguards that are sure to be accompanying someone as senior as Chung and it does not take her long to identify the two large, shaved head, muscular men who have taken seats in the isle near the exit and who are looking everywhere except at the racetrack below.

Keeping half and eye on the two goons she surreptitiously fishes out her cell phone and at a moment when neither of them are looking in her direction she takes a quick photo of the two men in deep discussions a couple of rows away from her. Looks like Kate is right, she thinks, this Su guy is up to some serious criminal activity if he is meeting with someone like Chung.

If Su is meeting with a known criminal like Chung then she has all the reason she needs to start an even more formal investigation to the man. Though she does also remember the warning that Kate sent with her request to look into Su. That he might have powerful friends and that Zhang should keep her investigation as confidential as possible. Though Kate used that American idiom of 'keeping it on the down low'.

Zhang will heed her friend's advice. The squad she has been put in charge of has a couple of good people on it that she can trust to bring in on this and if by the handshake she can now see Su and Chang sharing is any indication then she will definitely need the help looking into what Su is up to.

But before she does that she has to send the picture she just took to Kate and tell her what she saw today. Zhang is sure that the head of the Special Investigations Taskforce will find what she has to tell her very about who Su has been meeting with very interesting indeed.

* * *

 _A/N: So Su isn't totally out of reach of Kate and Rick after all and he hasn't decided to just play the innocent civilian either. I wonder how that will play out? Not to mention I wonder who Castle is meeting with? Questions we'll just have to wait and see if they are answered._

 _Started in a new position at work this week which is eating up a lot of my free time so I only get to write on weekends. As a result the release of chapters will slow as you see but they will still keep coming. Though fair warning that we are nearing the end of this story and we may not get a resolution with Huntington in this one. I've always thought that the taking down of this 'big bad' warrants its own story. Think of it as the ground work being laid for the next season/story._

 _Anyway, thank you all for taking the time to read my little tale._


	20. Chapter 20

_Disclaimer: I have absolutely no ownership of the late TV show Castle._

* * *

 _Battery Park, New York City_

Castle steps aboard the ferry behind a man and a woman in their late fifties, both comfortably dressed and whose accents tells him that they are tourists from some European country, possibly Germany. Tugging on the peak of the New York Mets ball cap he is wearing and hunching his shoulders in his brown leather jacket to disguise his height and build he scans his surroundings through the lenses of his sunglasses. As the rest of the passengers mill around him looking for their spots on the boat for their journey he spies an empty bench seat to one side and goes to sit down there next to the window.

He keeps his head angled towards the window so to give the appearance of looking at the passing scenery outside while in reality he continues to scrutinise those around him, the movement of his eyes hidden by the dark tint of his sunglasses. He hopes, for once, that no fans of his books are aboard the ferry whose engine is just now rumbling into life as it prepares to cast off. It is why he has attempted to disguise himself so because for what he is doing it would do himself, Kate or the taskforce no good at all if he is recognised.

As the noise from the ferry's engine increases it starts moving away from the dock and points its bow across the water towards its destination, Liberty Island. Quite a few of the passengers have made their way to the open bow and rear of the ferry, taking advantage of the clear weather to get good views and take some photos of both Lady Liberty and the New York skyline as they make their way towards the island. As such Castle is left in mostly alone in the cabin where he is seated with only a few other passengers, mostly elderly, remaining seated with him inside.

None are seated near him or paying any attention to him as they are all looking out the windows at what they can see outside. Therefore none of them take any obvious notice of the man that takes the empty space on the wooden slat bench seat beside Castle.

"Nice day for a boat ride. Wouldn't you say, Ricky?" asks the balding man rhetorically in a pleasant yet hushed tone.

Castle glances around before responding to make sure no one can overhear them which would be difficult anyway given the noise from the ferry's engines filling the cabin. In doing so he spots two men with dark hair and wearing a black leather jacket and a navy coloured wind breaker respectively that are standing at the two entrances nearby that lead to the rear deck of the ferry and who clearly accompanied aboard the man sitting next to him.

In a matching low tone Castle finally says, "Thanks for agreeing to meet with me, Dino."

Dino Scarpella, Don of one of the 'families' of New York shrugs his shoulders within his brown sports coat, "I'll admit I was surprised to get your message to meet what with all the trouble you had last year when you helped me and the family out. Now that you are a legit cop I thought that, besides the occasional phone call asking for a favour like you did from Atlantic City, that a meeting like this would not be..ahh…ethical."

Castle dips his head in agreement, "You are right and I mean no disrespect, Dino, but you have to understand that now that I'm an Auxiliary Detective, coupled with being a part of a high profile taskforce, which is also run by my wife, that I have to keep certain acquaintances from my past at a distance."

"I understand, Ricky. It wouldn't exactly do my reputation any good either being seen meeting with such a high profile cop like you, not unless they are on my payroll, of course. Is that why you asked to meet me? Not making as much from your books anymore so you've decided to supplement your income by offering to work for me?" Dino asks but with a joking glint in his eye.

Castle gives him a deadpan look in response, "Hardly, Dino. My books are doing more than alright so I'm not looking for another employer. I gave my oath when I got my star and I never break my word, you know that. Besides, Kate would string me up by my squishy bits if she found out I was on the take."

Castle finishes with his own joking glint in his eye. Only half joking of course because he shudders to think what Kate would do to him if he did betray his oath and her like that. Not that he ever would.

Smiling with perfect white teeth, Dino asks, "Ok, so if you don't want to start working for me why did you ask to meet me here all cloak and dagger like? Is this just to thank me for putting you in touch with Paulie in AC?"

"Partly, but also to call in a favour," Castle tells the mobster.

"What, having Paulie give you the skinny on who's who in Atlantic City and helping you with your case down there wasn't enough of a favour? Oh, Paulie sends his thanks by the way. You taking down both the Russians and Happy Joey Liguria has left a nice little business vacuum that Paulie's crew is quickly filling. The only competition he has left is Sylvie Baressi but there's more than enough to go around so that shouldn't be a problem," Dino tells him with a teasing grin clearly implying that the taskforce's efforts in Atlantic City actually helped his organisation.

Castle shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders as if the news is not unexpected, which it isn't and it actually helps the point he is shortly about to make, "Yeah, I'm not surprised but I wouldn't underestimate Sylvie Baressi if I were you. Kate and I met her and I think you'll find that she will want more than her fair share and she's more than enough competition for Paulie. No, what I'm going ask of you is going to repay that debt that you said you owe me from that very same time you mentioned from last year. You said that you owed me anything back then and now I'm calling that in."

Castle fixes Dino with his most serious look, even moving his sunglasses down his nose so that the mob boss can see the sincerity in his eyes. Dino seems slightly taken aback at the gravity of Castle's tone as he sits back and regards him.

Eventually he sits forward again, back towards Castle and says, "Alright, Rick. What's so important that you've decided to call in that particular IOU? Nothing that will cause any problems with the law for me or the family is it?"

"No, in fact what I'm going to ask of you will help the authorities, i.e. me, put away the leader of a dangerous and highly organised criminal organisation. An organisation that I think you'll find is in direct competition with you and so its dismantling will actually help you. Just like our taking down of Liguria and the Russians helped Paulie in Atlantic City."

Dino's eyes narrow as he looks at Castle, "I can look after myself and my business, Ricky. I don't need to get into bed with the cops to deal with any competition I might have."

"But this competition has resources and connections both outside and inside the law that I think you'll find are actively hindering your operations. Plus this guy isn't shy in using his influence within the government and law enforcement to take out his rivals. Surely you are aware of someone doing business, particularly in New York and the east coast, that has been in direct opposition to you and that seems to have sort of golden shield protecting them? If you help me, help Kate and the taskforce then this competitor of yours will disappear. And I promise that as long as none of your, let us say, less than legal activities become known to myself or the taskforce then you will have no fear from us. It all adds the fact that you owe me and it is in your best interest, not to mention your obligation, to help us," Castle argues, he hopes as persuasively as he can.

There is a long moment of silence between them only covered by the sound of the ferry's engine as they sit there, their bodies moving slightly in the same motion as the ferry moves through the slightly choppy water. Castle studies Dino's face as the mobster looks past Castle, out the window and at the blue grey water beyond.

Eventually Dino's dark eyes refocus back on Castle and with a sigh he says, "You're right Ricky. There has been an operation that a lot of the families have butted heads with over the years but that we've never been able to get a handle on and that seem to be protected from on high. Many profitable opportunities have been lost to them but we've never come close to finding out who they are, who's running them or stopping them. So, ok, Ricky. I'll help," he holds up his hands in warning, "as long as there is no risk to me or the family then I'll help. So, who is this mystery guy that is running the show?"

Taking another look around to again confirm no one is listening Castle asks, "Have you heard of Giles Huntington?"

* * *

 _Not far away…_

"Bugger," curses the darked skinned woman under her breath as she looks through the viewfinder of her camera.

From where she is standing on the rear deck of the ferry it looks like to anyone watching that she is taking photos of the approaching Liberty Island and the pale green symbol of a nation that stands proud upon it. In reality she is a lot more closely focused with the image in the viewfinder being of the two men sitting together in the central cabin of the ferry. One of her many skills is that she can lip read so she'd been able to follow most of the conversation between the man she has been tasked to 'keep an eye on' and the man he is meeting.

Unfortunately for her she hasn't had the time or the inclination to either plant a bug on her target or to hack his cell phone to turn it into a listening device and so she is missing a fair bit of what is being discussed. That is going to change and soon, she thinks, given who her target is currently meeting with and what little she has been able to glean from their discussion so her impetus to increase the level of her surveillance has increased. This was supposed to be a simple watch a report job for an old friend but it looks to her, what with this somewhat clandestine meeting she is observing and what she has been able to make out, that something serious and significant is going down with her target.

She isn't going to join her target and his companion in the cabin to try and listen in directly because, beside the fact that she'll have to make her way past the two goons standing at the entrances, with so few people inside there is no way that she won't be noticed going in and sitting within hearing distance. One of the main instructions that her friend has given her about this job is that the target is to be totally unaware that he is under surveillance and especially she is not to interact with him at all.

Her friend had even gone as far as to warn her not to let her target see her face more than a couple of times explaining that the man she is following has both an excellent memory, observations skills and an uncanny knack for sniffing out danger. She'd been sceptical at that, even after she'd finished her research on the target. For what she'd been able to discover for herself her target seems to be lucky and influential and may be intelligent and savvy in his own way but she seriously doubts that with her training and many years of following targets that his man will be one of the few people to 'make' her.

Yet she will heed her friend's advice because the last time she didn't it was a very painful experience for her. Then as she thinks of her friend she ponders again on why he has sent her on this job. On the surface it seems like any other job he would ask her to do, 'as a favour', even if seemingly simple. However she has long learned that things are never simple with her friend and perhaps what she is witnessing now is part of the real reason she has been sent to watch her target.

Sure, given her target's profession and history, the meeting she is witnessing could be explained away as part of his work or as old friends meeting up but from what little she was able to interpret of their discussion that is not the reason for this meet. Therefor perhaps because her friend has somehow gotten wind of what is going on with the man she is watching then he has sent her on this job to learn if it is true.

She is aware of some of the history between her friend and her target so she can understand to a point why she has been sent to watch him but what she is seeing now might be the real reason why she is here. It might be that her watch a report job might soon change to something a bit more proactive but that will be up to her friend.

When she reports back to him with what she has seen here today she will find out how he wants her to proceed. There is a good chance, also given his history that he will tell her to pull back and not to take any further action. Then again he may not but ultimately it will be up to him.

As the ferry makes its turn into the jetty at Liberty Island she sees one of the men she is watching give the other a departing nod before he rises and make his way slowly aft towards one of the doors leading to the deck where she is standing. With one eye glued to her camera she subtly moves her camera so it is pointed more out towards the water and no longer anywhere near where her target is seated. Yet the eye not at the view finder is open and in its peripheral vision she can make out the man who had left the meet join her on the aft deck with the two goons that accompanied him aboard close behind.

Fortunately the man and his men are apparently paying no attention to her as they, like the rest of the tourists on the deck take in the sight of Lady Liberty at a much closer angle as the ship comes into dock. Making a show of doing the same she swings her camera around to ostensibly focus on the monument yet as the image travels she takes another look at the man that has remained inside the cabin of the ferry.

The man, her target, is seemingly staring calmly and with interest out of his window at the statue just like everyone else. She depresses on the shutter button of her camera and it takes several images of the same statue but taking the perfect shot of the landmark is not what is on her mind right now.

No what is on her mind is what the probable reaction will be of her friend to what she has uncovered here today and what he will ask her to do as a result.

* * *

 _The Oak Tree Bar – one block over from Central Park_

"So, Officer, will you do as we ask?" asks the well dressed, fair skinned, blond haired man seated across from him.

Anger wells in his chest at what the man has so smugly, in his opinion, suggested. What he is feeling must be plain on his face because the man gives a small smile and gives the cell phone on the table between them a small nudge, clearly to draw his attention back to it.

On the screen of the phone is a picture taken at very close range of a late middle aged African American couple as they stand together at a doorway he well recognises. From what he can see in the photo he can surmise that someone with a hidden camera on them went to their front door, probably posing as a salesperson or charity door knocker. That the two people in the photo are his parents is what makes him so angry and the picture so disturbing to Auxiliary Officer John Parker.

The clear threat implied by the man sitting across from him that this photo is does not need to be spelled out to him but for the sake of his conscious he feels he does have to make what is being suggested clear. Therefor he asks, "So you are saying that you will hurt my parents if I don't spy for you? You know I could arrest you here and now for threatening a cop's family?""

The man sits back in his seat and a look of false affront appears on it as he responds, "I would not be the one to do anything, Officer Parker, I am just the messenger. If you arrest me no charge would stick what with no evidence except your word and a photo the context of which could easily explained away and I would walk away quicker than the time it would take for the trip from here to the nearest precinct. Then if you arrest me we will have your answer and the person who took this photo is free to go back and take a much more, for you, distressing one. Also 'spy' is such an evocative term. We like to see you as our friend. A friend that is properly motivated to keep his friends informed on things that he might encounter in his working life that are very relevant to his new friends. Otherwise his parents might make the very last friend they will ever have."

There is silence between them at that moment and the ambient noise of the bar around them fills the moment as Parker fumes in his seat at the corner he has been painted into. Part of him doesn't want to believe that this man or his 'friends' will follow through with their threat because it seems so like something out of a book of a certain author he knows but another part of him fears that they will really do what they threaten and his parents will pay the price. Also he knows he should just haul this guy down to the nearest precinct not only because it is the proper thing to do but because it would also be personally satisfying but can he risk his parent's lives that way?

Frustratingly, furiously and with a growing sense of guilt and resignation, Parker is feeling that he might have to do what the smirking bastard in his expensive suit asks.

However Parker is saved from giving his response for now as there is a 'ding' from the cell phone on the table and the man picks it up. After quickly checking what Parker surmises is a just received text, the man puts his cell phone away, looks up at Parker and says with faux pleasantness, "Well, looks like your other friend is almost here so I will leave you to think about our request. I will be in touch soon for your answer," he then taps his suit pocket where he just put his cell phone, clearly referring to the photo on it. "Remember, do not mention what we have talked about here today to _anyone_. Not your friend you are meeting here today, not your family, not your work colleagues or superiors and definitely not the people we are asking you to keep an eye on for us. If we learn that you have talked to anyone about this then your parents will get another visitor at their door and it will not be someone selling Girl Scout cookies. Have a good evening, Officer Parker."

And with a smile that is all white teeth that is equal parts charm and menace the man rises from his seat and walks away through the crowd in the bar. Parker watches as the man's suited back disappears behind some other patrons and he ponders the hole that his life has just been dumped into.

He is still contemplating that hole from the very same direction that the mystery man just left he sees the smiling face of Fran Carlotti appear through the throng of people in the bar. Parker barely has enough time to gather his thoughts and put on a happy front before Carlotti is taking the same seat that the blond man just left and giving him another pleased smile.

"Hey, Parker. It's good to see you. I'm glad you had the time to meet up here while I'm stationed at Central Park," Carlotti says a little breathless from walking here to meet him.

For a second Parker considers telling his Academy classmate all about the meeting he just had before she arrived but then the picture of his parents on the man's phone appears in his mind and he just gives his own pleasant, if forced, smile as he says, "No problem, Carlotti. You know I'm at the three three in Washington Heights, near where I live, so it wasn't that far to come to meet you and have a chance to catch up. So what're you having?"

The next few moments are spent ordering their drinks from a waitress who they are able to call over to the table. Once the young woman leaves them with their orders there is a brief pause and again Parker comes close to telling Carlotti all about the encounter he had just before she arrived.

But again he decides not to and instead he starts what he thinks will be a safe avenue of conversation, "So, Carlotti, how's the training to be a Detective going?"

"Oh, not too bad, so far. Some of it is just expanding on what we learned at the Academy and on the job so far. Add my time as an MP and I think I'm doing pretty well. Though I will say the extra time it is taking on top of my teaching job and being stationed here at Central Park is a bit of a killer but I figured if a certain writer we both know can do it then so can I."

Parker gives a small chuckle at that and they are interrupted by the arrival of their drinks. Soon they are both raising their glasses of beer and saying 'Cheers'.

After they have both taken a sip of their drinks Carlotti gets a look as she puts down her glass as if she's remembered something and she says, "Speaking of Castle. My partner and I were part of a case of his a couple of weeks ago and I saw him and his wife. The Special Investigations Taskforce was called in to investigate a body that two kids found in Central Park and my partner and I were first on the scene…..Hey, didn't you tell me that you're being transferred to the 12th at the end of the month? Perhaps you'll get a chance to work with the SIT and see them again as well."

* * *

 _The Loft_

Kate was going to let out a sigh of relief as she entered her home but the raised voices that greet her have her tensing up rather than relaxing. As she closes the door behind her and starts taking off her coat she can see the source of the argument is her husband and step-daughter as they stand facing off from one another across the kitchen island.

"Alexis…Pumpkin….why won't you be reasonable about this?" asked Castle in an angry yet distressed voice.

Alexis in a much more angry and frustrated tone grits back, "Reasonable, oh, that's rich coming from you Dad. You're the one that's not being reasonable about this."

With her coat put away Kate slowly makes her way towards the disagreeing father and daughter with the intention of finding out what they are arguing about and to hopefully make sure it does not get out of hand.

As she nears the island Castle indicates to some papers on the counter and he says forcefully, "This is too dangerous. I never wanted you to have this life. To deal with darkness like this. You should be looking forward to doing something uplifting with your life not something that will expose you to the very worst life has to offer. You have so much potential to bring light into the world I don't want you to be dragged down into the dark."

"Oh, so it's alright for you and Kate to try and help people and to stop bad things from happening but when it comes to me and your own fantasy of what my life should be like then it's the worst choice in the world. And don't even get me started on all the books you've written and how they are about finding justice and the good guys triumphing over the dark. No, Dad, you just can't get over the fact that I'm a grown woman that has finally figured out what I want to do with my life and that is not the safe little box of a life that _you_ see me doing. Boy, this is like Pi and Stanford all over again. If I don't stay your little girl and follow the path that you think I should then it is the worst thing in the world. Well, I'm doing this, Dad, whether I have your support or not," and with her impassioned speech done Alexis turns away from Castle and proceeds to storm off.

As she passes Kate on her way to the stairs leading to her room a red faced Alexis gives Kate a more subdued, "Hi, Kate."

"Uh, Hi, Lex," responds a taken-a-back Kate and she watches the young redhead stride angrily up the stairs and out of sight.

Kate then turns back to Castle to see that he too had been watching Alexis storm off and she sees him flinch as they both hear the loud slam of Alexis' bedroom door closing from the floor above. After that Castle gives a depressed huff as his shoulders droop and Kate's heart goes out to him. She knows he hates to fight with Alexis. The very few disagreements she's seen the closely knit pair of them have always take a toll on her husband. She thinks it is because of their close relationship that any disputes between them are so that much more intense.

"What was that all about, Castle?" she asks of her clearly upset husband.

"That," Castle declares angrily but with a hint of sorrow, indicating to the papers on the island top.

Kate steps up to the island for a closer look and sees papers bearing the familiar seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. One glossy booklet stand out as it likewise has the seal of the FBI on the front and the title reads ' _Graduate Entrance Requirements and Application'._

She is interrupted from her study of the papers in front of her and their implication but Castle asking pointedly, "Did you know about this?"

A little hurt that Castle would think that she would keep something this important about Alexis from him, after all they've been through about keeping secrets from one another in the past, she looks up quickly at him.

The look she give him has him holding up is hands in supplication as he immediately apologises, "I'm sorry, Kate. That was uncalled for. I know you would tell me about something as important as Alexis' entire future it's just that this has come as such a surprise."

Kate makes her way around the counter until she is standing in front of Castle so that she can look more closely into his face as she responds, "Well I won't deny that I will keep a confidence that Alexis trusts me with but I'll also admit that if she had told me about this the first thing I would have told her to do is for her to talk to you about this."

"But my daughter, my little girl, wants to be a cop and not just a cop but an FBI Agent?" asks Castle with a voice of disbelief.

Trying to be gentle but also wanting Castle to see reality Kate counters, "Come on, Castle. This can't be that much of a surprise. She mentioned your books and you told me yourself that she would read the early drafts of your work even before I met you which means she's been exposed to doing the right thing and seeking justice, even if it is in a fictional world, from a young age. Add to that your years shadowing me and now you being an Auxiliary Detective and how could she not consider a career in law enforcement? Though I will admit that I wish she hadn't picked the feebs." She tries to give that last line with some irony to try and lighten the mood.

She is slightly successful as the corner of Castle's downturned mouth twitches up for a moment but he still looks far too sombre and a little unattractively petulant as he says, "But why would she go behind my back about this?" He pauses as Kate cocks an eyebrow and gives him a look at that and he immediately responds with, "Ok, ok, so perhaps my reaction to this is why she didn't tell me about this but it still doesn't take away from the fact that this is a potentially very dangerous life she is choosing and I don't want that for Alexis."

"I think that is the point for Alexis, Castle, that it is her choice," Kate counters clearly but kindly. "As she said she is a grown woman and she is free to make her own choices. Choices that you may not agree with but that you have to respect. Anyway, it's not like she's heading off to Quantico straight away. She's only 21 and hasn't graduated college yet, if I remember rightly you have to be over 23, have a bachelor's degree and have three years' work experience before you can even apply to join the FBI. She's still got a few years and a lot of work to get through before that will happen."

Grumbling slightly Castle responds, "Yeah, I know you're right. But we also both know Alexis. Once she really sets her mind to something, early admission of Stanford notwithstanding, she goes for it with the tenacity of a redheaded bloodhound. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't test those entry requirements by showing the feds just how truly brilliant she is."

"Oh, so she's brilliant now, is she?" Kate asks playfully continuing to try and lighten Castle's mood.

"Pfft," he huffs in mock annoyance. "Of course. The feds would be lucky to have her it's just that I'm not that convinced that they will have her back or fully appreciate her," finishes Castle more than a hint of seriousness.

As a further attempt to get Castle to relax and calm down about this, Kate reaches for his hand and tugs him around the kitchen island and into the living room. He follows her without resistance and soon they are sitting side by side on the couch.

With his hand still in hers she gives it a squeeze and says reassuringly, "Castle, I know that you worry about Alexis. It is natural to worry about the ones you love. Just like I know you worry about me sometimes and just like I worry about you and Alexis as well. It is all part of loving someone and being a family but also an important part of being a family is also knowing when to let go, to trust them and let them do their own thing. That's something my mom told me just before I left for college and I think you know that applies now with Alexis as well."

Castle gets that adoring look in his eyes that he gets whenever she mentions some snippet of her past with her mom as he responds gratefully, "I know you're right, Kate…..I suppose I'll try to be supportive and to trust her choice. I won't promise that it won't be hard for me but I will promise to try."

Squeezing his hand again in support she says, "That's all Alexis wants, Castle. For you to trust her and to try."

There is a break in their conversation and Kate decides that it is time to talk about other matters that have even more significance for their futures.

Before she speaks she can't help but look around the room nervously and it must be clear to Castle what she is concerned about as he says, "It's Ok, Kate. We can talk here. You know that ever since Tyson tried framing me I've had the loft regularly swept for bugs and I'm not talking of the six legged kind. With our special project starting I had the security contractor come in today to do an extra check and they reported all clear."

Nodding in thanks at his thoughtfulness she asks, "How did your meeting go?"

"As well as I expected it would. Dino will help but I'm not sure how much help we can truly expect from him or trust him and his people," Castle admits to her.

"Well, this guy has his fingers in too many pies and too many friends so we need some friends of our own even if they are unorthodox," Kate admits.

"And that's why I suggested going to Dino in the first place. Somehow I don't think that our target would think that we would go to criminals for help," Castle says eagerly.

"Yes, but as you said you can't be sure how much help Dino will truly be or how much we'll be able to trust him. We'll need others to help with this and like with Dino it is going to be difficult to find those we can trust. With this guy's connections we are looking at a tough battle," she admits with a tinge of frustration.

This time Castle squeezes her hand in reassurance as he says, "Don't worry, Kate. Even if we don't find anyone else that can help us as long as we are together that is all that matters. Together we'll get this done and we'll get this guy. Because when we are together there is nothing that we can't do."

Kate feels her cheeks lift as she gives Castle a wide smile before responding with, "You are so right, Babe. Together we can do anything."

* * *

 _A/N: At this point, except for one very small, post credits scene if you will, that follows this note this story in this universe is done. The next story will be the face-off between our favourite couple and their new nemesis. Some of the players for the coming story have been set up here but there are more to come. Just think of the end of this story laying some ground work for the next story/season._

 _There will be a break before the next story comes out as I want to write as much of it as I can before I start publishing and as the delay in getting this chapter out has shown, real life is interfering with my time to write at the moment. So while I can't tell you all exactly when the next story will be out I promise that there will be another story in this universe, it will continue where we leave off here and that it will be this year._

 _So with that all said I want to thank everyone that has taken the time to read this story of mine, to follow it, to make it a favourite and especially to leave so many encouraging reviews. With readers like you guys fanfic writers are encouraged to keep these characters alive. Characters that were so distressingly taken from us this year by the vagrancies of TV executives, poor writing, childish egos and an implausible and unsustainable vison of the future as suggested by those supposedly running the show._

 _But to paraphrase Stana Katic, I don't want to take away from what has been a great experience writing this and watching most of the show, it has been so gratifying to see so many people appreciate this AU version of the Castle characters that I have created._

 _Thank you all again._

 _Now for the final scene….._

* * *

 _The Ryan Family Home_

"Jenny, I'm home!" Kevin Ryan calls out as he closes the front door to their apartment.

"In here, Kevin," comes the call from his wife and from the direction of the call he can tell it is coming from the living room.

It only takes a few moments to travel down the short entry hall until he is standing in the small but cosily furnished living room where he can see his lovely, blond haired wife, dressed in a pale blue dress sitting in one of the two armchairs. As he enters the living room he looks around for the other woman in his life and so misses the curious look his wife is giving him.

"Where's Sarah Grace?" he asks now looking at his wife.

"She's with my mother," Jenny responds icily and it is now that Ryan notices the almost glare that Jenny is throwing at him from where she is seated stiffly in her chair.

It doesn't take his years of experience living with his sisters to know when a woman is pissed off about something so he takes a tentative step towards his wife and asks, "Uh, what's the matter, honey?"

Jenny cock's an ironic eyebrow at his questions and responds ominously, "Oh, nothing's the matter but I was wondering if you could explain something for me?"

Sensing danger ahead but not knowing away around it Ryan asks nervously, "What can I explain, dear?"

With that Jenny hold up the cell phone that had been resting in her hands in her lap and asks pointedly, "Perhaps you can explain the call I just had with Laine where she told me about your recent case in Atlantic City and how, while she was down there, she found out about a very interesting sounding bachelor party that you, Javi and Rick had there before we got married."

* * *

 _The End….for now._


End file.
